The Truth of a Lie
by WickedGame
Summary: Sarah had known only one thing for sure: No one had ever had power over her. But when the Goblin King is taken, and she is assigned to rescue him, she begins to doubt everything she has ever known. 1st runner up in MediaMiner's Maximum Challenge Fantasy
1. Prologue

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth, nor any of its' characters. I do own all original character's and I do own this plot. Some of you may be used to be posting chapters very often. This story is in depth, and much more serious than what I have written before. It will take time. I will be posting when I can, which may be only once a week. I hope you will stick with me through this. The rating right now is T, that may change later.

_**Prologue**_

I hate to tell you this, but it was all just a test. I knew it, deep down. Even though they had modified my memory, modified my life and other's lives, somehow I knew it was a test. A test of will, a test of inner strength. They had told me, both before and after, that there was only was one thing that was truly real about the whole thing, and that was Him. Him, and his kingdom of goblins. I was put to sleep, and when I woke up I was all of a sudden someone else, a girl running into a park wearing a dress that was probably picked up from some thrift store. I had never seen the house I ran to before, and had never seen the people who were supposed to be my parents before. Karen, my evil stepmother? Just some woman they picked off the street and changed all her memories. Richard, my floormat of a father? Just some average joe they treated the same. Toby? Another Foundling, just like me. Did I know any of this as I complained about having to watch the baby? No. They had me under a memory spell. My mind only remembered that life, and not the life that had began for me when I was just an infant.

He had found me behind a circus tent in Bangor, Maine. No one was around. I am told I was only a few hours old. My Founder lifted the fleece blanket that surrounded me and saw the star-shaped birthmark on my stomach. I did not cry as he lifted me and spirited me away in the night. I am told I did not make a peep. I was just a beautiful baby girl with hair like a dark cup of coffee, and steel gray eyes that bore into anyone's soul. He took me away from the known world, and into an unknown one in a castle, where he and the rest of the Trefnu gan Seren Rhyfedd resided.

The Founders are what they are called, but the formal name of the Order is Trefnu gan Seren Rhyfedd. It loosely means 'The Order of the Star Beyond Measure', or something like that. They have been around since the beginning of time, or so it seems. We live in a large, hidden castle in Japan. Hidden by magic the castle is, because no one would be able to ignore its' beauty if they saw it. The Founders are sacred trainers, training warriors and assassins. We are all marked in the same way, with a star-shaped birthmark on our stomachs. The very first time our biological parents see the birthmark, they are spelled to leave us outside of wherever they are. It is a compulsion spell, and then they are also spelled to forget all about us, forget they even had us. We are rare now, a dying breed. One is born a Foundling, and grows to become one of the Found. Once our youth and vitality leave us we become Founders, searching the world for the next generation.

It has been twenty years since that cold night in Bangor, Maine. It has been five years since the test that allowed me to go from being a Foundling to being a Found. I have never aspired to be anything more, nor anything less. This is my life. I fight, I kill. I have a great aptitude for solving puzzles. I have my own brand of magic, that I am still coming into. I can seduce when it is needed, and I can also turn someone's blood to ice water. My training is finished. I am a mistress of weapons, and of hand-to-hand combat. I can serve tea without spilling, and I can stare even a queen down. I am not to be intimidated.

Today I sit in front of my Founder, my new assignment on the desk in front of me. Him. I am assigned to Him. He has been kidnapped, taken from his kingdom by a demon named Naroof. The folder in front of me spells it out: He was taken in the middle of the night, out through a window. Naroof lives in a warded cave about thirty leagues from the Goblin Kingdom. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City is empty, some say magically so. No one knew what had happened to the inhabitants. Sarah, Found, must go to the Underground, investigate, and then rescue the Goblin King. It is not known the purpose of the kidnapping, but King Jareth must be rescued with all possible speed. I look Founder Corsair in the eye, "Does His Majesty know?"

"Know what, Found?"

"Does he know who I am? Does he know it was a test?" I ask patiently.

"Found, he knows nothing of it. He still believes you to be Sarah Williams, mortal girl personified, the only one to ever beat his Labyrinth," Founder Corsair says with a smirk, "It was a task to deceive him, he is very powerful. But he has no clue that you were a Foundling"

"'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,'" I quote, "Is there no one else?"

"Found, even if there were someone else, you were the one chosen for this task. We all have out crosses to bear," he says. I grab the file to take with me as I leave the room.

The heels of my leather boots click on the floor as I make my way to my quarters. He had worn boots too, I now remember. Tall, black leather ones. His pants had been too tight to be decent, and he had worn the shirts of a bad pirate. He is indeed very powerful, which makes me wonder how a demon managed to kidnap His Majesty. Any other time he could have easily defeated almost any demon. I wonder why and how this demon succeeded.

I remember that power well. He had even more powers than I myself had been privy to. I passed my test, however. I told him he had no power over me. Those were the words needed to prove myself. I had said what needed to be said. I had succeeded by telling the truth. Even then, I think as I remove my shuriken carefully from their wooden box, I had been sure of one thing: No one has ever had power over me. No one.

**Glossary**

Trefnu - Order (welsh)

gan – of (welsh)

Seren – Star (welsh)

Rhyfedd – Beyond Measure (welsh)

Shuriken – Japanese throwing weapon (Japanese)


	2. Crystals and Illusions

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth nor any of its' characters. I do own all original characters and the plot so do not use without my permission. This is your update for this week. I go dancing on Fridays, and I am also dancing on Saturday this week, so I will not be here. Look for another update sometime next week. Many, many thanks to AngelaScarlet for beta-ing this chapter. **Tosses Angela a cookie!** If you like to read Spanish language Laby fics, make sure you check hers out!

_**Chapter 1 – Crystals and Illusions**_

The blonde haired, blue eyed six year old Foundling stared at Sarah intently as she re-braided her long, dark hair. She always wore it in a single, thick, dark braid down her back, where the tip brushed her backside. Toby had only seen it out of the braid once: when she was formally promoted from Foundling to Found, after the test. She had worn it down, and the dark mass had hung straight as an arrow, shiny and sleek. It was like dark silk. But the next morning the hair was back in the braid. Sarah claimed she like it better that way.

"Toby, don't stare, it's not polite," Sarah said with her back facing him. Toby sighed and looked out the small window.

Sarah was the closest thing to family Toby had. They shared a Founder, and Toby's room was right next to Sarah's. She was the one who was there when he had doubts or questions. He had known the time would come when she would leave for her first assignment, but he still did not like it. He especially did not like the look in her eyes after she had found out what her assignment was.

All Foundlings were gifted in some way. Toby's gift was an exceptional memory. He could remember almost anything he saw, heard, tasted, touched, smelled, was told, was taught, and read. He recalled every bit of time he spent in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. It was not easy for him, even at six, to admit what a pawn he had been in that game. He knew he was more expendable than Sarah. They would have willingly let him be turned into a goblin, and not thought twice. Sarah was far too powerful and strong to test just any old way. They had gone out of their way to fool the Goblin King, and to abuse the pact made between him and the Order.

The pact was thus: There are some Foundlings who do not make the grade when it comes to testing. They do not pass the test, and are therefore worth nothing to the Order anymore. But they cannot be shoved back into every day life. They have nothing. So the Order sends them to Jareth, and he turns some into goblins, and the others into his servants. The Order knew how to summon him to take a child, and they used that knowledge to their advantage. They modified everyone's memory, except Toby's. Toby just did what he knew to do as an infant, cry. Cry and cry and hope he got what he wanted or needed. After everyone was modified they dropped Sarah in, her own memory modified, to act out this play, to see if, in the end, she could say the words. And in the end, she did.

Toby remembered what happened when she woke after the test. She had gone to sleep as Sarah Williams, the girl who beat the Labyrinth. But she had woken up in her quarters in the castle. Her shock resounded in a shriek that echoed through the castle corridors.

_'Congratulations, Sarah, you passed the test. You are ready to begin your training to be a Found,'_ Founder Corsair told her.

_'That was the test?"_ Sarah asked hoarsely, '_Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo?'_

_'They were all real, as was the precious Goblin King,'_ Founder Corsair sneered.

_'I can never see them again?' _Sarah asked sadly.

_'I do not think you will ever see them again. You are now Sarah, Found. Your training will begin immediately. In one hour's time you will report to Founder Gabriel to start your instruction in advanced archery. Good luck Sarah, you certainly never disappoint,'_ Founder Corsair commented as he shut the door.

The walls were thin, and Toby had heard Sarah's words after Founder Corsair had left.

_'He was real. They were real. It was real!'_ Toby heard Sarah start to sob. Even as an infant he understood that sound. She was heartbroken. Sarah had never seemed the same after that. She had thrown herself into her training with a vigor rarely seen in any of the Founds. The last thing she had mastered was her training in poisons and antidotes. She had passed that a few months ago. And now came this assignment, the one that had etched a line of worry on Sarah's brow.

"Do you think he is still alive?" Toby asked.

"His Majesty is more than likely still alive for one purpose or another. Chances are that this kidnapping has something to do with overtaking the Goblin Kingdom or gaining Jareth's powers for Naroof's own use," Sarah said as she snapped some flash grenades onto her hip belt.

"You seem confident," Toby observed.

"Toby, we train for this every day. We eat, sleep, and breathe this kind of thing. I think I can handle a demon, and return His Royal Majesty to his rightful throne," Sarah smiled gently at Toby as she slid her wazikashi into its' scabbard. She checked her braid and then took her face mask from a shelf. She looked in the mirror and secured it, making sure it was very tight.

"You do not usually take the face mask," Toby commented. Those were usually reserved for covert tasks.

"I do not want His Majesty finding out who I am if at all possible. I do not want to deal with the drama involved," Sarah explained. Toby could understand.

"Do you think he remembers me?" Toby asked Sarah wistfully. She looked at him without looking at him.

"Toby, everyone remembers you. I won't be gone long. Be good, and do what they tell you to do. When I get back we will go on a picnic, just me and you," Sarah said as she finally slid her katana into the scabbard on her back. Quickly she twisted her wrist, and a small crystal appeared in her hand. It was clear, and round, and absolutely maddening. This was her magic. The magic she had yet to fully master. Crystal magic. She would eventually be able to control dreams and conjure things with these crystals, but there was only one other person ever known to have crystal magic. Well, if you could call him a person. She shook her head, refusing to even think his name. She tossed the crystal to Toby, who caught it easily, "Hide this. If you need me, really need me, look into this crystal and call me. I will hear you," Sarah made her way towards the door, opened it, and waited for Toby to follow her out.

The official Underground transport pad was in a domed chamber deep within the castle. There was a circle shaped platform with an intricate design on it. It was called the Carreg Teithiwr, or the Stone of Travelers. There was a matching one in the Underground. It was located in a similar chamber inside the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Only the Goblin King knew of the chamber, and only he could open it from the outside. Anyone from the Order could open it from the inside however. Sarah stepped onto the pad and waited. Founder Corsair entered the chamber, and patted Toby on the head as he passed him.

"Found, are you ready?" her Founder asked her. Sarah nodded confidently. The Founder concentrated on the stone, and on the Found standing there. Sarah focused her thoughts on the stone beneath her feet like she had been taught. Soon the scene in front of her shifted into a mosaic, and then refocused into an unfamiliar scene. This room was empty, and made of stone. It was old, and the stone was roughly cut. The door across from her was made of a roughly hewn wood, with a ring instead of a knob. Sarah checked herself over, instinctively looking for missing body parts. When she was sure she was all there, she walked towards that door, unsure of what she would find beyond it, but sure she had the skill to figure it out.

It was empty, the whole thing. She had looked through endless corridors, through the Escher room and through all the bedrooms. It was as if no one had ever lived there. It was not only devoid of life, but devoid of anything resembling possessions, any kind of sign that anyone had ever lived here. Home was not only where one would rest their head, but also where one rests their possessions, the things that even goblins must hold dear to their hearts. There were no knick-knacks, no bric-a-brac. It was eerie, or downright creepy. But Sarah was trained well, and made her way to what she was sure was the king's chambers, marked well by two large wooden doors. The large knockers on the doors were made of gold, and shaped like barn owls.

"How appropriate," Sarah murmured as she pushed the doors open. This room, too, had no signs anyone had ever lived there. The crimson sheets were pressed and the black duvet looked new and fresh. The pillows were carefully fluffed. The windows were closed, and unbroken. The red sheer curtains and the black velvet hangings over them were straight, and tied back with elegant black cording. Everything had a place, and it was definitely not the room of someone who had been kidnapped and put up any kind of fight. Sarah looked around and noticed that this room did indeed have something different, there was one personal artifact in this room. The Goblin King's black leather crop was resting on his bedside table. The only personal affect in the whole castle. Sarah decided to leave it where it was, not wanting to disturb the Goblin King's things if she did not have to. Once again she got that feeling: something was wrong with this whole thing. Terribly wrong.

Sarah had never dared use her crystal magic to try and look in on anyone but Toby. She stared at her hand, and knew what she needed to do. She twisted her wrist, and a small crystal appeared. She stared deep into its clear depths, and a milky essence filled it, making it opaque.

"Show me Jareth," Sarah said clearly, speaking the Goblin King's name aloud sent a shudder through her in his chambers, his most private place. The milky essence in the sphere swirled, and then became almost a backdrop to the scene playing out. She saw him then, for the first time since she had passed the test. He was being restrained with shackles, hooked up against a wall. Sarah knew the only way shackles would hold the Goblin King is if they had traces of iron. The wall was made of stone. His forearms were caked with dried blood, caused by the shackles rubbing his fair skin raw. He had been asleep when he had been taken, so a pair of long, loose pants had been his only attire. They were ripped now, the fine fabric covered with blood in places. He still wore his medallion, it did not seem to be damaged. His long, blonde hair was ragged in places, and matted in others. Sarah could not see his face, as his head was hanging down. Sarah did not know if he was conscious or not. She dismissed the crystal, and it popped like a bubble. Sarah sat down in an overstuffed chair, and looked around her.

"Well, what now?" she asked herself. It pained her to admit that the sight of the Goblin King brought low by a mere demon conjured sympathy in her heart. All these years, she had shut any feelings but ambiguousness out of her heart where the Goblin King was concerned. The less she thought about him the better. She always had thought that. Memories of him were painful for her to relive. Those memories accompanied memories of the friends she had made in the Labyrinth, the friend she had been forbidden to ever see again. She wished she could see them now, but there was no one here. No one.

Sarah got up and walked back through the corridors, and came back to the room where a roughly made chair and a circular pit sat. There were barrels of mead, unopened, and the chair was straighter than it should be. This was a kingdom of goblins. Why was everything clean, straightened?

"Not everything is what it seems," Sarah said with clarity. She began to suspect that she was not really in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Nothing is as it should be. Sarah sat in the chair normally reserved for His Majesty, and looked around her. Carefully, she looked at every nook and cranny around her. She noticed that directly across the room from her was a mirror, a large mirror she did not remember from her brief visit here. It was at least seven feet tall, and maybe three feet wide. It was large enough for most anyone to fit through. It was framed with elegant gilt scrollwork. It looked distinctly out of place in this stone and wood room. Sarah got up and her heels clicked as she walked to the mirror. Standing in front of it, she put her hand against it and felt its' coolness. She pushed on it, to no avail. She twisted her wrist and a crystal formed. She stepped back and tossed the crystal experimentally at the mirror. It did nothing. Sarah frowned and thought carefully. It would take something of the king's. Sarah ran to his room, and looked for the one personal item she had found during her search. The black leather riding crop. Sarah picked it up and concentrated on it. It has a residual energy to it, and it felt like the king was definitely its' handler. Sarah ran back down to the round room with it, and stood once again in front of the mirror.

"Here goes nothing," Sarah tapped the mirror with the crop. It shimmered, becoming iridescent, and swirled with many colors. All of a sudden there was the real castle in front of her, chaotic and unkempt. Sarah held the crop in her hand and stepped through the mirror, leaving the illusion behind her.


	3. Crime Scene Investigation

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth nor any of its characters. Special thanks and cookies once again for AngelaScarlet for beta-ing this for me. Sorry this is a couple of days late BTW.

_**Chapter 2 – Crime Scene Investigation**_

It was a mess, to be sure. The stone floor was littered with rotten food, empty mugs, and hay. Chickens were running amok, a motion being echoed by the various goblins that infested the room. The Goblin King's chair was overturned, and a harried looking maid was trying to right it, with not much success since a mean looking goblin kept pushing it over as soon as she had set it straight. An angry looking man, a valet if Sarah was not mistaken, was fending off a horde of small goblins with a broom. It would have been comedic, if it were not for the fact that this utter chaos was a very crude indicator of how this kingdom would get along without its king. Sarah kicked a ruddy brown goblin with a long nose out of her way as she made her way towards the maid and valet.

Another kicked goblin was necessary as Sarah tried to speak to the maid, "Excuse me, miss, can I have a word with you?"

The maid looked at her startlingly, and then glanced at the mirror. At that point, a green goblin with red hair decided to pull the maid's long blond hair.

"Bloody hell! I'm sorry mistress, but I am kind of busy!" the maid yelled as she worked the gnarled hand out of her locks.

Nothing would be accomplished like this, nothing. Sarah needed to take control of this situation. She took the crop of the Goblin King and cracked it on the wall. It made a loud noise against the stone, and the goblins stopped what they were doing. The noise was a source of comfort, reminding them of their taken king.

"Listen to me, all of you. You will sit, you will listen, and you will answer my questions," Sarah said sharply. She took the chair from the maid and righted it. She then sat in it, crossing her legs that were encased in red leather. Taking a deep breath, she asked her first question, "What the hell is going on here?"

The valet decided he would answer her query, and he stepped into the center of the room.

"One may ask what you are doing here, mistress," the valet asked bravely, taking in her weaponry and the crop in her hand.

"I am a Found, one of the Order. You know very well why I am here. I am here to investigate the disappearance of the Goblin King, and then to go rescue him before it is too late. This is my task," Sarah arched an eyebrow at the valet, "Now I will ask again, what is going on here?"

The maid stepped next to the valet, hoping to pacify the glaring Found.

"Mistress, we are just trying to keep things in order until His Majesty returns," the maid said with a curtsy. Sarah hated that this woman felt the need to curtsy to her, but one must keep up appearances if one is to gain respect.

"Why, when I opened the door from the room with the Stone of Travelers, did I find myself in an illusionary castle?" Sarah asked. Once again the maid spoke.

"Mistress, His Majesty created the illusion. When his blood is spilled, the illusion snaps into place. It creates an alternate universe, making the real Castle Beyond the Goblin City inaccessible to all but the king, and those who are connected to the castle itself," the maid looked confused, "Mistress, how were you able to break the spell?"

Sarah knew why: the riding crop had recognized her, and her magic, and had let her in, "I suppose His Majesty's crop may have aided me there"

The goblins had managed to stay quiet as mice, which the valet found unusual. The girl standing here had them transfixed, and she wielded the same kind of power as the king, he could feel it. Did she know it?

"Mistress, can we offer you anything? Food, drink?" the maid offered. The Found shook her head.

"No thank you. I must see the king's bedchambers, and then leave immediately," the girl looked intently at the goblins, "I want each and every one of you to go to your quarters and stay there until this is over. If I so much as hear you stepped one toe out of line, I will have His Majesty send you to the Bog!"

The goblins gasped and hurried off. Sarah motioned for the maid and valet to follow her, and they marched off down the hallway.

"What are your names?" Sarah asked the valet and maid. The two looked at each other before responding to the stranger.

"My name is Alis, mistress," the maid responded, trying to keep up with Sarah's brisk pacing.

"Alun, mistress. Pardon me, mistress, but is there something we may call you by?" the valet said, once again more bravely than Sarah would have assumed.

Sarah mulled it over in her mind before answering, "You may call me Sarah for now. But in the presence of the king, you must resort back to Mistress. The niceties must be observed," Sarah smiled at them through her face mask. Alis was relieved to find that the Found was not so cold as she first thought.

They finally reached the king's bedchambers, and Sarah threw opened the doors like she belonged there. Alis and Alun followed her inside, but stayed behind her.

Now this is what a small abduction scene should look like, but not an abduction scene befitting a king that wields very powerful magic. Sarah furrowed her eyebrow as she looked around. The crimson sheets were thrashed about slightly, like someone had been in the throes of a bad dream. The black duvet was still on the bed. The curtains were hanging awkwardly. A window was opened and broken. None of this looked right. The Goblin King would have put up a terrible fight if he was being taken against his will. Sarah walked to the window, and saw the blood that had snapped the illusion spell into place. His arm must have caught on the jagged edge on the window. Sarah reached into a pouch for a small, empty vial. She used a long, red fingernail to scrape some of the clotted blood into the vial, and then she recorked it.

"Sarah, if I may, what would you need the king's blood for?" Alis asked, truly curious.

"Most locator spells need something personal. I cannot think of anything more personal than one's own blood, can you?" Sarah asked rhetorically. The maid nodded in acceptance.

"Did anyone hear anything?" Sarah asked.

"I heard the window break," Alun told her.

"Nothing else?" Sarah asked.

"No, nothing else," Alun sighed.

"Why do you sigh?" Sarah asked.

"Do you think that any subject who has their king ripped from them is going to be happy?" Alun asked her.

"I've known some, yes," Sarah admitted, "Is His Majesty a good king then?"

"Yes, he is a good king," Alun commented.

Sarah made no comment as she worked her way around the room, trying to find out why the Goblin King had been taken without a fight. An idea came to her, "Did His Majesty have guests the night he disappeared?"

Alis shook her head, but Alun looked thoughtful, "I did hear a female voice in this room as I passed it late that night"

Sarah did not want to think about what the king and another female were doing in this room, but it was her job. She sucked in a breath and went to the bed. The pillows had both been laid on, that was for sure. Sarah looked closer and started to pull hair strands from the pillowcase. There were several long, pale ones that she knew must belong to Jareth. She tucked those into another small vial, and then searched for hair of another color. And she found it. There were several shorter ebony strands on the other pillow. She lifted one up and held it in front of her, "Has His Majesty been seeing anyone with shorter black hair?"

"Yes. There is a girl, slightly older than you, Sarah. She always wears a short black skirt, and a tiny black top. Her boots are like yours, but black. Her skin is pale, and her eyes are a deep brown. I do not know her name, but she shows up from time to time here in the Underground. His Majesty usually shows her directly into his study, and I never see her leave," Alun told her. Alis looked at him speculatively.

The description fit only one person Sarah knew, "Morwen!"

"Morwen? Is that her name?" Alun asked her.

"Morwen works with the Order. Apparently the king was working with her on more sensitive projects," Sarah sneered. She was not aware of any reason why Morwen would be associated with His Majesty, but that was not the reason she was here.

It was troubling. She had dissected this crime scene and she was still no closer to figuring out how the Goblin King had been taken without much of a fight, "What did His Majesty eat that night?"

"Roast chicken with a rosemary and lemon rub, roasted new potatoes with thyme, and a blend of grilled vegetables. For dessert, a culuma pie with whipped cream and coffee," Alis answered.

"What's a culuma?" Sarah asked, curious.

"A red fruit that grows Underground. It is much like your cherries I expect," Alis told her.

"The Fae do not have allergies if I remember correctly?" Sarah mused. The duo nodded in unison.

It was some time later when Sarah had finished examining the room, and what she found spooked her a little. It was not that there was something, it was that there was nothing. No indication of how this happened.

"I know you. You would have put up more of a fight than this," Sarah whispered.

"Sarah, if I may ask, who took His Majesty?" Alun queried.

"Naroof, a demon that lives some leagues away from here in a cave. Not much is known about him, at least not by the information I have at my disposal. There is a short description in my dossier about him. Seems no one knew about him until a few years ago, and no one knows with whom his allegiances lay. His powers are almost a complete unknown, save that we know he can leap very high and he is very strong physically. It is unknown what magical powers he possesses. He must have some magical powers to have accomplished this feat or," Sarah paused, tapping her red nail against her lip, "he has someone with him who is magically powerful. It is of no matter, this is what I am charged to do and trained to do. I will rescue His Majesty, return him here to you, and go on my way"

"Sarah, it is growing dark. May I suggest you set out in the morning?" Alis proposed.

"Show me the tunnel. I need to get out of here. My assignment is to investigate and rescue. That is what I am doing," Sarah said sharply as she swept out of the room. Alis and Alun followed her to the circular room. Sarah set down the Goblin King's crop and then faced the servants, "Lead the way"

They walked down a maze of dark corridors until they came to a heavy wooden door.

"Allow us, Sarah, it will only respond to the residents of this castle," Alun said as he pulled on the heavy metal ring. The door creaked open and Sarah stepped through. She turned and looked at the servants once more.

"If I do not return with the king, I am glad to have met you, and I wish you luck," Sarah said before she took off down the corridor, slight tears stinging her eyes.

_"What do you mean, you are being sent away?" Sarah asked her mentor._

_Alis smiled for the eighteen year old girl she loved as dearly as a sister, "Sarah, one day you will understand. Alun and I are in love. It does not matter where we go, or what we do, as long as we are together. It does not matter that they will erase our memories. True love transcends such things. I have heard the Goblin King is fair and just. May Morwen beg forgiveness for betraying our confidence, but I am not sad. I will be with him. In my heart of hearts I will always know him. Be well"_

_With that, Sarah's mentor ran down the hallway, accepting what hand fate had dealt her. Sarah shed a tear, and then another as she flung herself onto her bed._

_"Damn that Morwen! She is always into everyone else's business. Why couldn't she have left them alone?"_

It had been two years since it happened. Alis and Alun were promising Foundlings. Alis had the ability of recollection, just like Toby did. She was not as good at it as Toby, but she had it nonetheless. Alun was strong, but without looking like he was strong. He looked average until you put a two ton boulder in front of him. When that happened he looked like a freak, picking something that big up with his lithe body. They were both two years older than Sarah. When she was eighteen they were about to take their final tests to become Founds.

Sarah had known about the feelings the two had for each other. Alis could not keep her eyes off of Alun, and Alun was just as bad. Even though fraternizing with other Foundlings was against the rules, Sarah kept her mouth shut. She was too happy for her friends.

One day, Alun and Alis were in the courtyard, and they were a little careless. Alun was giving Alis a short and sweet kiss when Morwen walked out the door and saw them. Morwen hated Alis for unknown reasons. Morwen turned right around and reported the two of them. Founder Gabriel cast them out, turning them over to Jareth by way of the pact they had made. Their memories were erased, and they were left unaware of their abilities. They went to work for the Goblin King as his maid and valet. Sarah had thought she would never see them again. But she had, and for that she was glad. Alis had been right, they had found each other again. The speculative looks Alis had been giving Alun were enough to confirm that.

Sarah came out of her reverie just as she came to a dead end. She felt for the door she knew was there, and opened it. She was now outside the Labyrinth. She faced East, and drew a circle on the ground. She opened the vial that contained one of the Goblin King's hairs, and dropped it onto the ground.

"Ymchwil tros efe," Sarah said. A shower of glitter sprang from the ground, and swirled to create a map in front of Sarah's eyes. She was pointed in the right direction. He was east. Sarah destroyed the hair by lighting it on fire and burning it, and destroyed the circle she had drawn in the dirt. She took of at a brisk pace, not wanting to stop until he was rescued. Maybe then her life could go back to being semi-normal.

Glossary:

Alis – Welsh form of Alice

Alun – Welsh form of Alan

Morwen – Welsh for "maiden"

Ymchwil – Quest (welsh)

Tros – For (welsh)

Efe – Him (welsh)

Culuma – made up fruit name

Naroof – this is a made up name

Side note: thanks so very much to BTVS and CSI for their inspirations in this chapter. I know they are only tv shows, but I always learn so much! And if anyone is an Inuyasha fanfic reader, if you could send me titles of good Inuyasha fanfics (none that involve sesshomaru and kagome together because that's just sucky) please tell me the titles or the authors. Would appreciate it.


	4. Asleep and Awake

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. I know, I'm late. I have been uber busy, and I am trying my hardest. Plus, the muses have been reluctant. Please bear with me. This chapter in un-betaed.

_**Chapter 3 – Asleep and Awake**_

Sarah felt like she had been running for days. As she stopped in the middle of a dense forest, she guessed she actually had been running for about two days now. She had projected it would take her almost five days of hard foot travel to jog the thirty leagues. A league is equivalent to about three miles. She could run a mile in about three minutes, the fastest of any of her colleagues. She had a long, ground-eating stride, and she did not tire easily. Her training had given her all the stamina she thought she would ever need. Supposedly, when she finally mastered her crystal magic, she would be able to use those crystals to move about as she wished, like the Goblin King could.

_Now would be a good time to have that particular power, _Sarah thought wryly as she sat down to eat a piece of chocolate. Chocolate was the one thing she always carried in her belt. It never rotted, and damn did it taste good. She rarely needed to eat. She liked to, but did not find it necessary most of the time. It had been over two days since she had eaten anything substantial, however, and it was beginning to wear on her. She would need to hunt soon, a prospect she did not like. Killing another animal just because she needed something to eat seemed wrong.

_Sure, I kill for a living. But chances are, if I am sent to kill you, then you did something wrong. I was never trained to kill for rash reasons, or for sport. I kill because I am assigned to kill people who have done bad things,_ Sarah thought. So, killing an animal just to feed her one meal would be wrong. Plus, she was lacking her bow and quiver on this journey. She would never hunt any other way.

_People who shoot animals are worthy of being shot themselves,_ Sarah thought in the recesses of her mind. She found a comfy space of ground and laid down, feeling the need for a short nap in the afternoon sun that streamed through the trees.

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The smell of cooking meat was what brought Jareth out of his unconscious state. That demon was spinning a charred husk of boar on a makeshift spit not fifty feet away from him. Jareth did not eat meat, but in this state, he would eat just about anything. He tried to move his head, or limbs, but to no avail. The iron that bound him was too strong for even that movement. Whoever had planned this was smart, they knew how to keep him alive. But for what purpose? Any other demon would have killed him and placed him on that spit already.

Jareth's head swam as he tried to recall what happened. He could remember bits and pieces. He had managed to wake up for a bit every few hours to reassess his situation, and to try to find a way out. Every time he work up he could remember a bit more of that night.

The first thing he had remembered was that he had been entertaining that night. Then he had remembered he had eaten culumus pie that night. Next he remembered that the company he had been entertaining had been named Morwen. Also, he remembered that he had invited Morwen to his study, as he had been doing for quite some time, where he used a secret passageway to get to his chambers with her. He remembered her using the restroom, and then she came out and kissed him.

That is where everything went fuzzy once again. He could see flashes of memory from then on: red skin, black leather, a haughty laugh, a roar, voices murmuring roughly, cold air, the pain of his arm catching on broken glass, and then blackness.

Jareth blinked violently, his mind threatening to drop off again. He wondered if he was going to die here. He wondered who had set all this up. He wondered about Morwen. His thoughts faded out, but a single frame stood out from the others as all went black on him: a girl with an aura like a living flame, with dark hair and gray eyes. Her eyes could be so cruel…

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It was evening when Sarah awoke, but she would not stay the night in this place. She packed her things and started to move again, feeling an urgent pull in the direction she needed to go. She was making her way through the dark forest, and it was slow going. She stepped over and under fallen tree trunks, and crossed more than one brook or creek. It was right after crossing a particularly chilly brook that Sarah came up against her first opponent, a fearsome centaur. His body was that of a white Andalusian, but his torso was black as midnight. His hair and tail were like burnished wire, and his eyes were like pools of blackness. There was no life behind those eyes, only darkness and death. This creature had been possessed by a dark force, and it sickened Sarah to know she would have to kill this creature, to put it out of its misery.

"You will go no farther," the centaur said in a disembodied voice. It was chilling, and the voice spoke with knowledge of great evil.

"Wanna bet?" Sarah said as she drew her wazikashi. The silver blade glinted in the moonlight as she took up a stance. The centaur reared and charged her, the dirt on the forest floor flying up as the hooves pounded fiercely. His mane streamed behind him, and Sarah felt a moment of pity as the foam fell from his mouth. This creature had no idea what it was doing. Sarah cleared her mind in an instant and jumped into the air just as the centaur reached her. She turned one hundred and eighty degrees, and landed behind the centaur. Her sword whistled through the air as she cut the tendons in the graceful and powerful legs. Bright red blood spurted from the wounds, and the centaur let out an inhuman scream as it collapsed. Sarah drew her tanto knife and approached the centaur's neck. With one quick motion she slit the throat, letting the creature bleed out onto the forest floor. It went limp almost immediately, it's soul finally dying and leaving the mortal plane. Sarah wiped her sword and her knife on the hide of the centaur, and then sheathed them both.

"May the Lord and the Lady watch over you, brother centaur. May you finally rest in peace, your soul untroubled. May you one day find your way back to the mortal plane, to live a better and unfettered life," Sarah prayed over the corpse, and then she left him there to become carrion for other predators of the forest. Such was the nature of things.

Every few hours she was confronted by some new, possessed creature of the forest. She knew this had to be Naroof's doing. She had not known he had such power. It was annoying, and her red leather suit was starting to look more like blood than every before. Her hair was speckled with it, and her skin was smeared with it in places. She was sure she looked like some kind of barbarian in a red leather catsuit with red leather boots. Her weapons were formidable, and these creatures presented no real challenge for her. Indeed, she felt guilty for their evident lack of prowess. It seemed wrong to kill those who had no clue who they were fighting or how to fight at all. But she had a job to do, ad she would kill anyone who got in her way.

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"This place feels so much more…serene since Sarah left," Morwen told her reflection.

How she hated that girl. It was always Sarah this, and Sarah that, as if the girl were worthy of such great praise.

Morwen stuck her pink tongue out at the mirror and then re-applied her blood red lipstick.

It was true, Morwen was more than likely the fairest of the Founds. Her hair was blue black, and her eyes as blue as the ocean. Her skin was as pale as ivory, and her lips were naturally red as roses. She was lucky that way. But what made her unlucky was that almost every other Found hated her. She was mean, spiteful, hurtful, and ignorant for the most part. It did not help that Morwen happened to think she was the best Found in the Order. She strutted about like she owned the place.

Most girls chose a uniform that covered the majority of their bodies once they passed their tests. Not Morwen! She chose to wear a skimpy outfit made of black leather. The skirt was tiny, and slit up to her hips, and the top skimmed her full breasts. She wore high black boots and purposefully sashayed as she walked, making men stare as she passed.

Morwen had been found outside a high school gymnasium, wrapped in a rough sheet. Founder Gabriel had brought her here, and been happy to oversee her training. He taught her everything she needed to know to not only be a successful assassin and warrior, but also a successful seductress.

As Morwen walked down the hall, she contemplated how he had approached her for her last assignment. She had been in bed next to Founder Gabriel, when he asked her if she would like an opportunity to become truly powerful within the Order.

_"Mmm, yes," Morwen purred as she stretched her naked body._

_"The job is seducing, and then poisoning the Goblin King," Founder Gabriel told her as he rolled one of her pink nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Morwen moaned._

_"Is he ugly?" Morwen asked breathlessly. A flicker of annoyance passed over her Founder's face._

_"My dear Morwen, he is Fae. They do not call them the Fair Folk for nothing," Founder Gabriel reminded her. Morwen shrugged nonchalantly._

_"Why do you require me to seduce His Majesty?" Morwen queried._

_"We need you to get close enough to poison him with that special lipstick you came up with. You will need a lot of poison. Get to know him, seduce him a few times, and when everything is in place you will carry out the order. That is your assignment. Top secret. No one else must know," Founder Gabriel told her._

Now she had been summoned to meet with all the Founders in the conference room. They were going to discuss the next step to be taken now that Jareth was in place. Her heels clicked as she walked, and then she reached the wooden door. She knocked twice and waited to be let in. The door finally swung open, revealing all the Founders sitting at a long table. Morwen knelt, observing tradition, and then took her place standing behind Founder Gabriel.

"Next time Found, please be on time," Founder Carson chided her. Morwen nodded her head in assent.

"So, everything is going as planned. Found Sarah is on her way to rescue Jareth. He will know who she is eventually, and then his natural weakness for her will reveal itself. Once she has gained his trust, we will have him disposed of, and then we will put Sarah on the throne to guide the Goblin Kingdom until she has outlived her usefulness," Founder Corsair stared at the dossier in front of him gleefully.

"What?" Morwen asked in shock, "I thought I was going to be rewarded for my service, that I would be of great importance once my job was done! You are going to put that wench on the throne?" Morwen was shaking with rage. Founder Gabriel stood up and faced her. As he looked her calmly in the eye, he brought his hand up and slapped her across the face with all his might. Morwen felt her lip split and her face become inflamed. She fell down with a thud.

"Do not ever speak out of turn like that, Found," Founder Gabriel spat, "You will go to your chamber and await my return"

Morwen ran out of the room, blood stinging her eyes. A Founder was still as strong as the Found he or she once was. Founder Gabriel had thrown every bit of his power into that slap, and Morwen felt it throughout her face.

_That bitch! How could they want her? She is homely, and not nearly as talented as me! They promised me!_

Morwen ran inside her room, and went straight to the bathroom. Her face was bruised and swollen.

"Gwneud wynebu wel," Morwen intoned, and then watched as her face repaired itself. Soon she was looking like her old self, and then she contemplated what she had heard.

_They want to make her Queen? Let them. I will kill her, make it look like an accident, and then take it all over for myself. Let them blunder, let them fail. I will be there when it falls apart._

And then Morwen let herself drift off to sleep, waiting for Founder Gabriel to come and punish her further for her insolence.

Glossary:

Gwneud - Make (welsh)

wynebu - face (welsh)

wel – well (welsh)

- I can only find so many English to welsh lexicons on the internet that are free, so my vocabulary in welsh is very limited. If someone knows of a good one, shoot me an email about it.


	5. To Save The Day, Or Maybe Melt Away

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. This chapter was beta-ed by AngelaScarlett, who is always quick and nice about it.

_**Chapter 4 – To Save the Day, Or Maybe Melt Away**_

Naroof, son of Looner and Carpen, ripped his teeth into the deer he had been roasting all day. Sometimes, he did not even bother with the roasting, but the demon needed something to do to pass the time. The men who had offered him the soul of this Fae needed him to bide his time until they said it was okay. The deal had been this: a pretty girl would subdue the Fae king, and then he would take the king to his lair, and wait. When it was done, they told him that he could have the soul of the king.

Naroof survived by sucking the souls from living things. His mouth was a round hole, with puckered lips that jutted out from his face. He covered the mouths of his victims, and sucked until their very essence was gone. The more powerful the being, the more filling the soul. Sure, the deer that had been turning on the spit would fill his enormous stomach, but the souls would fill his consciousness. The souls would keep him alive. And the soul of this Fae would fill him for a long time.

He had been tempted to suck the soul from the girl who had subdued this king, but he knew he could not violate the agreement between himself and the powerful men that had come to him. Naroof never broke a promise. He was a demon of his word.

Naroof knew he had no special powers beyond his ability to suck the souls from things. He was a fearsome fighter however, and he would fight to keep his Fae here. When the men gave the order, he would suck the soul from this Fae, and then consume his flesh.

Naroof stood up and walked to the beautiful figure chaines to his wall.

"Such a shame, it is truly beautiful flesh," Naroof let one of his gnarled and red fingers trace a trail down the pale cheek of the king. He was like an angel, this Fae. His pale blond hair, and his soft skin. His skin was chafed where the chains held his wrists, and Naroof momentarily lamented the scars the iron chains would certainly leave. He had been watching this Fae for days now, and every day he felt himself being drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. His soul would be so sweet, so filling, and his flesh would be like pure honey in his mouth. Naroof backed away and sat back down to his meal.

That was when he heard a small step. Naroof tilted his ear to his right, towards the opening of the cave. A boot if he was not mistaken, which would mean a two-footed creature. Was it his employers? Could he know suck the soul of the king? No, it was too soon. So, a rescuer? Someone found out where he was? The figure had grown silent, and Naroof knew the rescuer was waiting for the right time to attack. Then, he was surprised as a young girl walked straight into his cave, no weapons drawn. She was tall, and lithe. She was encased in red, from head to toe. Her face was covered, but her eyes were gray and calculating. Her hair was long and brown, drawn back in a braid. Her weapons collection was formidable, and she wielded power. Naroof sniffed the air and smelt the power that dwelt within her. She would be a succulent feast. He smacked his puckered lips, and was pleased to see her disgust. Let her be disgusted, let her scream, he did not care. Her eyes narrowed as he took a step, and then she drew a fearsome blade from the scabbard at her back. The blade was slightly curved, and at least two and a half feet long.

"Come on, little girl, you do not want to hurt old Naroof, do you?" he rasped, and took another step towards her.

"Let His Majesty go," she said. It was a command. He saw her eyes dart over to the chained figure.

"I am sorry little girl, but as soon as I get the order from the gentlemen who hired me, I am going to devour this Fae's soul, and then consume his flesh. I am afraid you will be joining him soon enough," Naroof drew a blade from the scabbard at his hip, and then he charged the girl. His three-foot blade met hers in a shower of sparks. She was quick, and very agile. Naroof swung again, aiming for her legs, but once again she met him, and forced his blade upwards. This time she swung, aiming for his stomach in a terrible slice, but Naroof blocked her deftly. She swung around and backed off, changing tactics. Naroof saw her consider him for a second, before coming back at him. There was a flurry of sparks and clangs, and Naroof thought she was just as capable as he. Soon, he felt himself losing ground, and being forced towards a wall. Being trapped would not be a good thing. He turned suddenly, so he was not being backed into the wall.

Had Naroof noticed he had put himself with his back towards his camp fire, maybe things would have turned out different. But with a mighty kick, Sarah caused the large demon to lose his footing, and he tumbled backwards into the fire.

Naroof screamed, unable to see through the smoke being created by the charring of his red flesh. It smelled terrific, like the creatures he roasted, but the pain was horrific, as though his own soul was being sucked away. Such was his distraction, he did not see the girl bearing down on him until the last second. He was not in time however, and her fearsome blade sliced his stomach open with one strike, and then there was nothing.

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Sarah stared at the severed head that had landed across the room, and then at the spilled entrails that were cooking in the fire Naroof had landed in.

"He had no idea what he was facing," Sarah sighed. Her red leather was covered in blood, as was her hair and skin. She looked terrible. She used a spare bit of cloth she found near the king to wipe her blade before she sheathed it. It would not do to have her blade rust.

Sarah walked over to the severed head and tossed it into the fire, watching smoke once again fill the room.

"He was an ugly fucker," Sarah remarked as she turned to the whole reason she had traveled this far, "Hello, Your Majesty"

The Goblin King was still asleep, and Sarah was grateful. She adjusted her face mask and walked over to the chains. They were made of iron, and she could see why he could not have escaped. Sarah found a rock on the floor of the cave and used it to break the chains that bound her charge to the wall. She caught him as he crumpled, and then she laid him down on what she was sure had been Naroof's bed. It was probably not clean, but it would have to do for now.

Sarah quickly tabulated his injuries. His head had a small gash on it, which had clotted but not healed. His lower lip was split, most likely from dehydration. His clothes were tattered. His wrists were chaffed and red. She rolled him over and could see that his back had not been injured. On his left arm was the gash that had been caused by the glass on his window, a clotted cut about three inches long. It was jagged and looked terribly painful. Other than that, nothing was too damaged. Sarah boiled some water on the fire and used another spare bit of cloth to clean the wounds. She ripped apart a spare sheet to bandage the wound on his arm, and then she covered him up.

Sarah stared at the figure on the makeshift bed and wondered what exactly had happened to this king. She was not sure she wanted to know the answers. She put her back to a nearby wall of the cave and closed her eyes, waiting for His Majesty to awaken.

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It took two days. Two days for him to awaken. In that time Sarah had disposed of the ashes in the fire, and built a new one. She had made a rough broom from the twigs she found here and there in the forest nearby, and had swept out the cave. She had washed the makeshift bed and she had washed the Goblin King also, or what she could of him. She had wiped the blood from her own clothing, and she had bathed in a nearby stream herself. She had secured a lot of vegetables, and had made a soup from them. She had sterilized water for them both to drink, and she had meditated when she could do nothing else.

A groan had been the first sign the Goblin King was awakening. The groan was hoarse, and rough, but still a sound. Sarah rushed to his side, and watched to see if he opened his eyes. And then, he did. Two mismatched eyes looked at her hazily, as if they could not see her distinctly. Then he tried to sit up. Sarah pushed him back down, which he instinctively tried to fight.

"Your Majesty, I am a Found of the Trefnu gan Seren Rhyfedd. I have been sent to rescue you. I have slain the demon Naroof, and you are free of your bonds. As soon as I deem you well enough to travel, we will make our way back to the Goblin City, and relieve Alis and Alun of the position I have put them in," Sarah smiled, relieved he had stopped fighting her.

"Water," he gasped. Sarah lifted the dipper from the small barrel she had been using to store the sterilized water, and held the Goblin King's head. She tilted it slightly so he did not choke, and she slowly poured the water into his mouth. He coughed and sputtered at first, but then he began to drink. She let him drink three dipperfuls of water before she put it away.

"More," the king asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Your Majesty, I fear that we will need to take it slowly. You have been very dehydrated and malnourished. Sleep now, and when you awaken I will give you more," Sarah lowered his head and the king drifted off, obviously not in any position to disagree with her.

Sarah took this time to fashion a comb out of small sticks and some twine she had found. She combed as many tangles out of his long hair as she could, and she bathed him again. Sarah also set about making more soup. She would give anything for some bread right now. Sarah sat up against the wall and shut her eyes, in the half sleep she had become accustomed to. She knew she would hear him when he finally woke again.

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It was hours later when His Majesty awoke. This time Sarah let him sit up, and he looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"Who are you? What is your name?" he asked, using an authoritative tone.

"My name is not important. I am a Found of the Trefnu gan Seren Rhyfedd. My assignment was to rescue you and take you back to your castle," Sarah told him, mindful to not tell him who she was.

"Do you know Found Morwen?" he asked her, looking a little concerned.

"I do," Sarah told him.

"Is she quite well?" the Goblin King asked her.

"She was when I left, Your Majesty. Why do you ask?" Sarah replied.

"She is the last thing I remember seeing," the king murmured.

A growing feeling of dread spread throughout Sarah's body. _Morwen_ had been the last thing he had seen? Her mind working faster than usual, she worded her next question carefully, "Your Majesty, I know you saw Found Morwen on a regular basis. I am aware, through my own investigations, that she was in your bed that night, or some night before it. In the interest of getting to the bottom of this, can you please tell me what transpired that evening?"

The king looked at her with consideration, and then cleared his hoarse throat, "Found Morwen joined me for dinner. I can only remember having culumus pie. I took her into my study, and then used a secret passageway to get to my chambers. I trust you know of Found Morwen's capabilities as a courtesan?" Sarah nodded, so he continued, "From there I only remember a few things. She went to use the restroom, then she came out and kissed me. Everything is fuzzy and disjointed after that. I remember a woman's haughty laughter, voices murmuring, a roar, flashes of red skin and black leather, very cold air, and I remember catching my arm on my window. I can remember nothing after that until waking up just now. I suspect more memories may return the more I heal"

The more the king told her, the more Sarah began to suspect something terrible was happening. She knew now that it was Morwen who was behind this. Morwen was known for her specially made lipstick, which held a number of poisons inside of it. No one knew the recipe, for Morwen made the vile stuff herself.

The Founds were all trained as courtesans. Their training started when they were thirteen, with the taking of their virginities by their Founders. It was a ritual as old as the Order itself. The male Founds were also trained thusly, usually by a female Founder. After Sarah had been deflowered, she was trained in some things by her Founder, and in some things by a female Founder. Morwen was the one who took such pleasure in the art of seduction and in the delights of the bedroom. Sarah knew that she might enjoy it one day, but seducing a male or female just to kill them or gather information seemed low to her. It was one of the many reasons she did not like Morwen. Morwen could make men like the Goblin King care, and then kill them without blinking. It was also known that Morwen took great pleasure in sharing the bed of Founder Gabriel to this day. Sarah still did, out of obligation and custom, but she never found pleasure in it. Founder Corsair was neither a considerate lover, nor a pleasant lover.

"Found, why do you wear that mask?" the king asked, startling her out of her reverie.

"For reasons of my own, Your Majesty. I do not want you to know who I am," Sarah explained simply.

"Take it off, I demand it!" the Goblin King stated emphatically.

"Your Majesty, I mean no disrespect, but I am not your subject, and am not subject to your commands. I do what I am ordered to do by those who have the right. You have no --," Sarah paused, revising the words she knew would jog his memory, "You have no say in what I wear or how I wear it. Now I suggest we eat something and then seek our beds. Tomorrow we may see if you can walk. If you can get around a little tomorrow, then the next day we best start back for your castle. I am afraid poor Alis and Alun may be run ragged by those goblins of yours before long," Sarah said with a smile in her voice as she dished up soup for them both. After a moment the king began to drink the soup, and Sarah settled down to do the same.

_It is going to be a long trip back, _Sarah thought to herself, as she lifted her mask just enough to tip the bowl into her mouth.


	6. Secrets and Lies

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. Really I don't. Chapter betaed (is that a word? I don't think so) by the darling AngelaScarlet. Arigato!

**Chapter Five – Secrets and Lies**

Just as Sarah had predicted, the king was ready to go in two days time. He still did not look his best, or feel his best, but he could move. Sarah knew he was not well enough to do anything more than walk at this point, and she would not allow it anyways until he had seen his own healers and they had given him a clean bill of health. Sarah had a responsibility, and she intended to see this responsibility through. Once they had reached the castle and she had made sure the king was quite well, she would go back to the Order and find out exactly what was going on. Why had Morwen done this? Was it orders? Was there something she was not being told? Sarah did not like to think about a plot against the Goblin King, but then again, they had sent her to rescue him, so they could not be behind this, could they? Sarah chewed her bottom lip as she watched the Goblin King rise from the floor of the cave they had been sharing for some time now.

"Your Majesty, we can leave whenever you are ready," Sarah told him. He looked at her, holding no pack and no water.

"Found, how do you propose we get back to my kingdom with no clean water and no food?" His Majesty asked her.

"I am quite capable of catching meals, and I have a way to purify drinking water," Sarah said simply as she started to walk towards to mouth of the cave.

When will you tell me your name?" His Majesty asked her. Sarah stopped in her tracks and did not bother to turn around as she answered.

"I am no one of any importance, Goblin King. Don't ask questions you probably would not like the answers to," Sarah disappeared around a corner, and the Goblin King walked to catch up to her.

And that was how they left the former home of the demon Naroof, its' sole denizen still charred in the fire.

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Toby may be small, but he is brilliant. A brilliant young boy with wisdom beyond his small number of years. And even he could see that something was up. He had been left mostly alone in the last few days. The whole place was buzzing with gossip and people trying to accomplish errands. It was big, whatever was coming, and Toby's naturally curious mind wanted to know the answer.

He spent the day searching through all the secret places he had found to hide over the years. The one behind the tapestry on the fourth floor of the castle, the hidden door in the kitchen. He checked them all, eavesdropping on numerous conversations. It was not until late into the night, when no one even suspected or cared he was awake that he finally hit the jackpot.

"She has reached him by now, and he is probably on his way back with her now," Founder Gabriel and Founder Corsair were discussing someone. Toby knew it had to be Sarah, his gut told him so.

"How long do we think it will take her to get back here?" Founder Gabriel asked his colleague.

"A few days at most. She will move them quickly. Do you think she has told him the truth?" Founder Corsair asked. Now Toby knew for sure they were talking about Sarah.

"I honestly do not know. It does not seem like Found Sarah to reveal that which is not important to her assignment. This is what makes her so valuable to us. Not only is she the most powerful of all the Founds, but she is a perfect puppet. Never question, never ask why, just do. She never did put up a fight when you finally took her virginity, nor has she had any fight in her since. The only sign of fight that ever came from her was when she returned from her test. When she realized what we had done, she was beside herself. I knew it was important to send her on that test. She is the only one we have ever done that for. We had to move heaven and earth to get that done. But that test gave us the ammo we needed to bring the Goblin King down. He fell in love with that Sarah, the Sarah with the white dress and the room full of toys. He may have forgotten by now, but when he finds out, getting him out of the way will be cake. Now, how do we get rid of Found Morwen?" Founder Gabriel finished his piece and set off down the hall from Toby. Founder Corsair followed, unaware of the honest ears that had heard everything.

Toby almost ran back to his rooms. He acted as if everything was normal and casually walked to his room. Once there, he sat on his bed and looked at the crystal Sarah had given him.

"How many days did they say she would be? A few? I will wait until I am sure she is at the castle. Bothering her now would only distract her from what she has to do. She has to tell him the truth. He has to know. And she needs to realize that her feelings did not go away like she wishes they did. She locked them away, but they did not disappear. She needs to realize that their love is real, even if the way it came about wasn't. Remember…," Toby let the words trail off, and he hid the crystal once again before lying down to sleep.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Sarah led the way back the way she came, stopping every time she heard a hitch of breath from the Goblin King, making him sit and drink the purified water she carried with her.

The Goblin King looked into the Found's grey eyes as he drank. He released the water bottle from his lips and looked more intently.

"Where have I seen those eyes before?" he asked aloud. Sarah got up quickly.

"A lot of people have grey eyes. We must be going Your Majesty," Sarah said abruptly.

"You are avoiding something," His Majesty said to her. Sarah stopped.

"Don't ask questions when you are not nearly prepared to hear the answers, Goblin King," Sarah said as she started to walk. The Goblin King got up and walked after her.

When the sun started to go down, they made camp. Or rather, Sarah made camp while the Goblin King sat on a rough log in the middle of this godforsaken forest.

"I will be so glad to see the stone walls of the Labyrinth again," he sighed.

"I personally could care less if I saw another damned tree in my life," Sarah laughed gently. That laugh tugged on the Goblin King's heart, and he tried to shake it off.

"Do I know you?" he asked her.

"Does anyone ever really know anyone?" Sarah asked, skirting the issue.

"Damnit, tell me!" the king commanded. Sarah just glared at him.

"No. I will catch some fish. I hear a stream not far away," Sarah said as she turned away. In a flash she was gone.

After a few cooked fish on sticks from the forest floor, Sarah made sure His Majesty was comfortable before settling against a tree to sleep her half sleep.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" he asked her conversationally.

"Of course it is. But I must remain alert," Sarah said with her eyes closed.

The Goblin King shook his head and damned her in his mind before drifting off to sleep.

_He was in a park, a lovely city park. There she was, the girl he had been watching. Her white dress sparkled in the sunlight, and her hair was like a chestnut river down her back. He watched her recite the lines, as always, to the play from the little red book. When it started to rain she ran, her dog glued to her side._

_"It's a piece of cake," the same girl told him, defying his will and tossing off the importance of his Labyrinth._

_"I'll paint you mornings of gold…"_

_"Your eyes can be so cruel…"_

_Eyes. Grey eyes. Dark lashes. Small smile. Defiant will._

_A black haired woman wearing next to nothing…_

_Lips against lips, burning sensation…_

_Laughter, haughty laughter…_

_"Take him away, Naroof. Such a pity, he was so good in bed…"_

_"Such a pity…"_

_Grey eyes, heart breaking grey eyes. Cold eyes, cruel eyes._

_Ripping of skin, hot blood dripping onto window. Tough red skin. Flying through the air._

_Grey eyes._

_Grey eyes._

_Sarah…_

"Your Majesty!" Sarah shook the Goblin King, who was sobbing loudly in his sleep and thrashing about. All of a sudden he sat up and stared at her.

"What?"

"You were having a nightmare," Sarah told him.

"I was? I don't remember dreaming," he mumbled.

"Well, lay back down. It will take all day tomorrow, and tomorrow night, and most of the next day to get back to your castle," Sarah told him. He quickly feel back to sleep, and Sarah took up her post at the tree.

_He said my name_, Sarah thought to herself. Right before she had woken him, her name has escaped his lips. The sound of her name of his tongue, the way it sounded like a promise, a lover's caress. It had touched her soul. She could not afford those kinds of feelings. Not now, and especially not for him.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The next morning they found themselves already quite a way from where they had been. Sarah knew that they would stop at a lake tonight, she needed a bath desperately, as did the Goblin King.

What she did not count on, however, was the surprise that came upon them when they stopped for their midday meal.

It came crashing out of the trees, a long, fierce snake demon. It was at least fifty feet long, and was strong enough to take down trees. Sarah motioned for His Majesty to move to one side of their camp while she dealt with the demon.

Sarah drew her wazikashi and set into fighting stance. Then she grabbed some flash grenades to stun the demon. When the grenades went off the snake demon thrashed, and a spike from his tail tore away the mask Sarah had been hiding behind.

The Goblin King had been watching intently when all of a sudden a flash of red came away from his rescuer's face. Her back was still turned, but he knew that when she did turn around he would figure out how he knew her. Another mystery solved. Another puzzle piece fitted.

Sarah had no time to worry about her mask. She threw two shuriken, hitting each of the demon's eyes. She jumped in the air and aimed her wazikashi at the forehead of the snake. It slid in, like a knife into melted butter. Sarah then drew her tanto knife and got behind the snake's head.

The Goblin King watched, fascinated with this girl's power. This woman's power. She resonated with it. She took her knife and looked forward as she drew it across the throat of the giant snake. As bloody foam and guts issued forth from the gaping wound her sharp knife had caused, the Goblin King wanted to faint. He was not one to faint either.

_Grey eyes._

_Your eyes can be so cruel Sarah…_

_You have no power over me!_

_You have no power over me!_

_"I'll paint your mornings of gold…"_

"I'll paint your mornings of gold, I'll spin you Valentine evenings…," His Majesty sang softly. Sarah's sharp ears heard it, and knew he had found out who she was. He had figured it out. She jumped off the bleeding snake demon and awaited fate's judgement.

The king looked at the figure in front of him. She wore red leather from head to toe. Her chestnut hair was longer than he remembered, and held back in a braid. Her eyes were cold and calculating. Grey, like steel. She was covered head to toe in blood. And as her eyes met his, he saw that steel grey soften into a grey meant for gentle doves, before hardening up once more.

"Do you know how long I have searched for you?" he asked her.

"You would have never found me, Your Majesty. I am Found Sarah. Your Labyrinth was the test that allowed me my position," Sarah said bitterly.

"You were a silly girl with silly toys," the Goblin King told her.

"No, the life they created was that. They modified my memory as well as yours, Your Majesty. It was not until I passed the test that they told me everything. We were both kept in the dark. I was told I would be taking a test to become a Found instead of a Foundling. The next thing I knew, I was running in a park. I had no memory of ever being a Foundling. As far as I knew," Sarah paused to wipe her knife off and re sheathe it," I had always had the life of one Sarah Williams. After I arrived back at the place I believed to be home, and partied with the denizens of your Labyrinth, I woke up in my bed in our castle. They told me I had passed, and told me the only thing that had been truly real was you, the denizens, and the Labyrinth. Everything else was fake. Everything else was a lie," Sarah mocked bitterly. She retrieved her shuriken professionally from the eyes of the demon carcass, and cleaned them gently before setting them back in their pouch.

"You are a Found?" the Goblin King asked once again, not believing it. He shook his head. He had loved her. He had loved her for so long. Was the love he had felt a lie? A manipulation?

"It was all a lie, Jareth," Sarah said softly. She felt bad for him. She has been furious when she had found out. But that had been five years ago. She had been given the opportunity to stew about it for years. This powerful Fae was only just now finding out he had been duped.

"I loved you. I granted you certain powers," Jareth said, pointing at her fiercely.

"And I still have them Jareth," Sarah sighed, and conjured a crystal sphere out of thin air with a twist of her wrist, "Just a crystal, nothing more".

Jareth stared at the crystal like it was a monster, "I am the only being to ever possess crystal magic. There has never been another. I did not gift you with that magic. Everything I gave you had to deal directly with the Labyrinth. I didn't give you that power!" Jareth exclaimed, and Sarah made the crystal disappear.

"I think we had best get a move on Jareth. I want to make it to the lake before sunset. I desperately need to bathe," Sarah said intently, and then paused. She turned back to Jareth and offered him the only crumb of hope he could see, "If it is any consolation Jareth, I cared too".

"When did I give you permission to call me Jareth?" he queried.

"I never needed your permission, Jareth".


	7. What Is Normal?

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not Labyrinth. I am sorry that this update is seeming a little late. I wrote two erotic stories, an erotic Inuyasha fanfic (check aff (dot) net for that one), and I am working on a regular Inuyasha fanfic at the same time as this one right now. I am a busy girl. I also had a bit of an argument with my muses concerning this story and lost my way a bit, which resulted in overhauling the chapter. Thanks to all of you who still read it! And many, many thanks to the darling AngelaScarlet for betaing once again. I could not have done this chapter without her!_

_**Chapter Six: What Is Normal?**_

Jareth. A name. A nice name. An extravagant name. A name itself holds no power unless you give it such. Jareth's name was no different. It may have been derived from the Welsh name Gareth, which means, 'gentle'. Sir Gareth was one of the Knights of the Round Table. Or it could have been derived from the Hebrew name Jarah, which means 'he who gives sweetness or honey'. In the bible, Jarah is a descendent of King Saul. In any case, Sarah did not believe either one of these applied to this Jareth, this Goblin King. She refused to even recognize the name as holding any meaning, and power. If she believed the name held power, then the man himself would hold power. And Sarah did not want him gaining one ounce of power over her.

&&&

They reached the lake with just enough sunlight left to bathe without fearing the darkness of the water. This was the Underground after all, and you never could tell what dwelled in such places. Sarah sighed with audible pleasure as she thought of washing all the dirt, grime, muck, and blood off of her body and outfit. They could be washed away like sins in the water.

"Have you been here before, Jareth?" Sarah asked casually in passing curiosity. She started to make camp, laying out their blankets and such as Jareth sat on a log.

"Not since I was about sixty or so," Jareth answered, still irked that this girl would call him by his given name. He had to keep reminding himself to pick his battles. It was not terribly important right now, just annoying.

"Hmmm," Sarah murmured as she unlaced her tall boots. Her attire amused Jareth almost as much as it aroused him. He knew it was meant to distract. Founds were just like that. They never did anything without reason, and he was sure Sarah was no exception. They lived to distract the people around them. Sarah flexed and pointed her feet to work out the kinks in them, and then she took the wrapping that covered her feet. Sarah stood, and removed her impressive arsenal from her body. The equipment was carefully placed against a sturdy log. Sarah removed her red gloves, and then she reached for her braid. Jareth watched, transfixed, and she used her slender fingers to undo the plaits one by one. It fell down her back in impressive waves, and then she turned her head over and shook the hair out, making it seem like a wild mane, in need of taming. Ah, but who would want to tame a lioness like Sarah? To call her hair brown would have been an injustice. Call it bistre, call it espresso, call it dark chocolate, but never just call it brown. It shone, even with the dirt and blood matting areas of it. Sarah looked and caught the Goblin King staring.

"What?" Sarah asked, and then reached for the zipper that ran the length of her torso to her neck. Jareth could only gape as she drew the zipper down to where her thighs met, revealing the inner curves of her creamy breasts. Jareth kept his gaze steady, even with his heart beating a mile a minute. He watched as she shrugged the catsuit off her slender shoulders, and then she pushed it down to the ground. She gingerly stepped out of it, and then laid the red leather suit down on the log. Jareth took in her form: the long, muscular legs, the powerful arms, the flat stomach and the toned back muscles. Her bottom looked finely sculpted, and heart-shaped. Her breasts were round and her nipples were pink. She did not seem the least bit concerned with the fact that the areas that should not be showed to anyone but a lover were very visible, the tiny dark hairs trimmed to perfection. She looked like a lioness, a warrior woman, a perfect soldier, and someone who could wrap their legs around a man and give him great pleasure.

"Why are you staring at me?" Sarah asked, curious as to why the Goblin King was looking her over with keen interest. Enough men had looked at her that way. She knew that look, "Why, Your Majesty, do you wish to inspect me closer?"

Jareth arched an eyebrow and settled his mask into one of indifference, "If you have seen one female body, you have seen them all. You do not have anything I have not seen before, Sarah"

Sarah laughed a slightly tinkling laugh before making her way to the lake. She dove in, and she was greatly relieved to feel the water wash away all the blood she had shed. She then heard his voice call from shore.

"Sarah, do you routinely undress in front of men you hardly know?" Jareth asked, as he spied her wet body from shore.

"Yes,

from the time we are young. When our sexual education starts, we start undressing for inspection constantly," Sarah said.

"When is that?" Jareth asked.

"Oh, I'd say about eight or so? We come into the main chambers and they look us over constantly for blemishes and for any signs of weight gain. Weight would only slow us down. And then they take us away for our sexual training," Sarah said clearly from the water.

"Sarah, that's not normal," Jareth said, shaking his head. He wanted to puke. Children, forced to undress for inspection constantly, and then…

"What is normal?" Sarah asked idly, "Your voice shows you do not approve"

"Sarah, have you ever seen or visited any other children in the Aboveground, besides those in the Order?" Jareth asked.

"No, no, of course not. We are strictly forbidden. We are not even let outside the castle grounds until we have been fully educated. And even then, contact with children is forbidden," Sarah sighed.

"I wonder why?" Jareth asked sarcastically. He knew the answer. They couldn't have the Foundlings finding out that what was being done to them was not normal.

"What's with the questions?" Sarah asked.

"Sarah, what they do to you, what they did to you, it's illegal. It's wrong, it's immoral," Jareth told her in exasperation. Was the girl dense?

"You make it sound dirty! It is necessary for our courtesan training. We need to be comfortable with our bodies, other people's bodies, and with how to please both men and women very well. It is all preparation," Sarah said as she emerged from the water. She wrung out her hair and dripped water onto the shore.

"Sarah, when did you lose your virginity?" Jareth asked calmly. His blood was boiling and his heart broke for the innocence Sarah had lost, but he needed to know just how far this madness, this corruption went.

"Right after my test. I was fifteen when Founder Corsair brought me to the ritual room and deflowered me in front of the other Founders," Sarah almost whispered.

Jareth was not the warmest Fae, nor was he the most compassionate. But the pure idea that someone like Sarah had lost the last vestige of childhood, of innocence, in such a manner; without love or passion to soften the blow, was abhorrent. Who did they think they were, to destroy young girls like that?

"Sarah, do they do this to the boys also?" Jareth asked with a sneer.

"Of course. Toby will start his education in two years," Sarah said as she set to rebraiding her hair.

"Monstrous!" Jareth yelled as he jumped up.

"Calm down!"

"I do not want to calm down! How can you think this is okay? Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy their hands on you, their mouths on you? Did you enjoy feeling their body parts and forcing them into your mouth? Do you long for them when you are away? Is sex enjoyable to you? Do you want it? Is there any passion there? Do you want Toby to feel it? Do you want those bastards kissing him, feeling him, entering him? Do you want that for him, or for any other Foundling? Is that what you want? Is that normal and good to you?" Jareth asked, his face red and his pulse racing.

"We are marked, our paths are decided before we are even born. We are taken away from our parents at birth, and we never look back. It is our life, and we live it as we are destined!" Sarah yelled at him. Sarah tried never to let her emotions get the best of her, but with the Goblin King, all bets were off. He brought emotions to the surface she would rather suppress.

"A person chooses their own path. A person who thinks it is all laid out for them before they are even born is a weak-willed automaton that cannot face the truth about their life. You make your own destiny, Sarah. No one makes it for you. You keep spouting excuses that were drilled into your brain, you keep repeating it like a textbook. You are so much more than that Sarah. Would you please put some clothes on now?" Jareth asked her politely after his tirade.

"Why? Does my body disgust you?" Sarah asked snidely.

"You know it doesn't. If you are a trained courtesan then you know your body is up to that task. It is a beautiful body fit for the worthiest of men. But, I do not think that this is the time and place for it," Jareth told her.

"I have never taken pleasure in what they make me do, what they have made me do. Mark my words, Jareth: I know how to screw a man's brains out until he begs for more, but I have never enjoyed it. Not with anyone. This was the way I was raised, Goblin King. A Foundling, then a Found. I can squeeze you until you pop like warm champagne," Sarah made her way to where Jareth sat and knelt down in front of him, "but the pleasure would be yours alone. Don't you want this body? Don't you want that pleasure?" Sarah caressed his cheek and leaned into kiss that ageless face. Her lips were mere millimeters away before Jareth gently pushed her back. Her look changed from seductive to shocked, and then to angry and hurt.

Jareth stood up and looked down at Sarah, "Not like this. Not when I am weakened and my resolve is not at its best. I can't pretend you do not arouse me, but I will not have you like this. When it happens, I want it to be you asking for me. When it happens," Jareth held out his hand to help Sarah up, "I will be the one in control"

Sarah glared at him and turned to her blankets. She needed to dry out before she could put back on the catsuit. It would be impossible to put on while wet.

She had so many questions, and no answers. So many beliefs, shot through. She had no clue what to do, it was like being left adrift in a sea on confusion. She had been raised to believe that everything the Order did was good and just. She had been raised to believe that all they did was spy, seduce, and occasionally kill a bad person. Chances are, if Sarah was sent to kill you, you deserved it. She had never questioned anything they had ever told her, except for the day when her test had happened, and they had told her that it had all been faked. It wasn't real. But what was real? What was true? Lessons long engrained told her to trust what they had taught her, but instinct and heart told her different. It was like it was all clouded, with no end in sight. A miasma, a fog that made it all muddled and blurred.

Where was the sun to clear the way? Where was a gust of wind to sweep the darkness away?

Why did she feel like the answers were just around the corner, yet still out of reach?

&&&

As King Jareth laid on his blankets that night, he knew he faced a major dilemma. What to do? What would his father do? What these people did to Sarah, and countless others, was wrong, but was it his place to close up the portal his father had helped open?

Prince Jareth was one of two sons born to King Idris and Queen Aeronwen of the Underground. The other son was his older brother, Mabon. Mabon was the heir to the Underground throne. While Mabon understood his duties and what was expected from him, he still strained at the leash, and slipped out from under it whenever he could. One day, in his haste to leave the castle, he jumped his horse over a bush without knowing what lie behind it. The slight slope behind the bush threw off his horse's stride. In turn, the horse threw Mabon, snapping his Fae neck. Fae can live forever, barring personal injury.

The funeral had been elaborate, and more in tune with what Mabon's parents wished, rather than with what Mabon would have wanted. When Mabon's pyre went up, Jareth walked away. Walked away from his mother and his father, and the leash that was soon to be his. He walked away, and did not come back until he received notice that his father had fallen ill.

Queen Aeronwen had been beside herself over the rift between her and Jareth. He was the only child she had left. And when King Idris passed away a few months later, Jareth was the only lifeline she had left. Jareth took over the ruling of the kingdom with little fuss and little muss, and his mother retired from the public spotlight. She did not outlast her beloved husband long, dying only three years after him.

And then there was only King Jareth of the Underground. The Goblin King. He gladly carried on the work his father had started, and he enjoyed his own pursuits. The Labyrinth, and other games he could play with lives that seemed trivial to others. That was all he did until the games all stopped the night he was abducted.

Sarah's life was not a game. And neither was his. Neither life was anyone's to play with. And Jareth would do all he could to make sure no one played with either of them again. Finally, he would take charge of it all.

If only his blasted magic would come back!

&&&

Jareth was asleep when the dream came to him. The pieces now fit, it had become a clear memory in his dreamscape now.

_The black haired woman wrapped her arms around him and used her ruby red lips to kiss him with a gentle, caressing motion. Jareth welcome the kiss, and opened his mouth gently, to allow her tongue access. He did not mind her short moments of dominance, it was a welcome thing, a subtle reminder of her strength. He sucked her tongue into his mouth and stroked it. _

_Morwen blurred before him, and then he felt himself falling away, slowly. She had let him go, and had let him drop to the floor. She opened the window and waited._

_Jareth, lost in a partial dreamscape, had heard the beating of wings. Soon, a red demon entered the room. Morwen muffled the sound of breaking glass and staged the abduction scene, laughing her haughty laugh whenever she was pleased with herself._

_"Naroof, take him through this window, so he gets some kind of injury. They need to believe he is very hurt," Morwen told the demon._

_"When do I get to suck his soul?" Naroof asked._

_"That is not my decision. Leave quickly," Morwen motioned for his departure. Morwen left soon after._

&&&

"Wake up, Jareth. We should reach your kingdom by late today," Sarah told him. She had already packed and was waiting for him.

Jareth stood, and packed his own belongings. He walked as quickly as Sarah, eager to get home and to the bottom of this.

_Meanings:_

_Aeronwen – "Blessed River" in Welsh_

_Idris – "Ardent Lord" in Welsh_

_Mabon – "Son" in Welsh_


	8. A Cry For Help

**The Truth of a Lie**

a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. I just wanted to comment on the difference in reviewers here on FF. You guys are way less hyper than my Inuyasha reviewers. With my story "Say Goodnight", the people who review it are very…excitable. They keep threatening me with violence if I do not update right away. Oi. Also, things start to get a little faster paced in this chapter. And, if someone can name the literary reference in this chapter, I will give you a virtual cookie! Betaed by my most faithful beta and reader, the wonderful AngelaScarlet.

Edit: I needed to go back and edit this after I posted it due to a plot hole. Enjoy, and thanks to Heist for pointing it out!

**Chapter Seven: A Cry For Help**

With each step they took Jareth's anger only grew. It was not only that they had messed with him, but they had also messed with Sarah. She had been too young to know, and she had trusted the people who had raised her. But Jareth had been old enough that he should have known; he should have suspected something. They had used him, and he had been clueless. It hurt his pride.

Sarah could see that the Goblin King was brooding. His brow was furrowed, his eyes were like ice, and his lips were pursed tightly together. His stride was purposeful and he did not even seem to see the terrain around them. This state did not alarm her, it only made her curious.

Jareth stopped in a small clearing out of the blue. He seemed to be studying the tree in front of him with some maliciousness. With one of his gloved hands clenched, he used the other to finally summon one of his crystals. He promptly launched it at the tree. Then he did it again, and again. By the time he was done there was a sizable hole in the tree. Sarah suspected he had not poured all his power into those spheres, but he had needed to vent his anger physically.

"Ah, come on, what did the tree ever do to you?" Sarah asked, studying the damage.

"Found Sarah, it seems we will need to walk no longer. Come here, and I will take us there," Jareth waved his hand at her. Sarah walked over to him and stood by his side. He wrapped one slender arm around her waist and drew her close. Jareth took a deep breath, and they disappeared. In another second, they stood in the audience chamber of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City.

"One day, Jareth, you will have to show me how to do that," Sarah almost purred. Jareth liked the way his name sounded on her lips when she said it like that.

"It will be my pleasure," Jareth told her with a florid bow. He sat down in his chair hurriedly and rang some sort of invisible bell. Moments later, Alis and Alun scurried into the room, with a curtsy and a bow.

"So glad to see you have returned Your Majesty and Mistress Sarah," Alis said softly. Sarah heard relief in her voice.

"Mistress, the goblins did just as you commanded. Not a peep out of them. They have been no trouble since you left," Alun said with a smile.

"What's this?" Jareth asked curiously.

"The goblins were giving Alis and Alun a hard time when I finally managed to break the spell you have put on this castle. I told them that if they did not stay put and be quiet I was going to order them thrown into the bog when I got back," Sarah shrugged. Jareth let out a laugh. The girl was a natural!

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?" Jareth asked his valet.

"No, Your Majesty. Things have been remarkably quiet in the days you have been gone. There are a few letters for you on your desk, and some things for you to sign," Alun reminded him.

"Your Majesty? While you attend to the affairs of your kingdom, I think I will start preparing to return Aboveground and find out what exactly is going on with The Order. Is that acceptable?" Sarah asked, obviously minding the fact that they were now in his castle.

"Please, do stay awhile. I would like to talk to you some more about what is going on," Jareth suggested.

"As you wish, but then I must be getting back," Sarah answered. Too much time around Jareth, and around his world, could not be a good thing right now. It was bad enough she had to travel with the Fae, but to stay any longer with him could mess with a mind she had trained very well to ignore the situation with the Goblin King.

&&&

Toby sat on his bed, sniffling. He was not a boy prone to tears. Usually he kept his emotions well in check. But it had all gotten to be too much. Found Morwen had stopped him in the halls a little earlier, looking for information on the one person he could never give information on, Sarah.

_"How well do you know Found Sarah, Foundling?" Morwen asked, drumming her nails against her thigh._

_"Not well at all, Found Morwen," Toby has responded, trying to keep his face devoid of emotion._

_"Foundling, do not lie to me. I know the two of you are as thick as thieves. Tell me, do you know if she keeps a journal, a diary?" the raven haired Found asked him impatiently._

_"No, Found Morwen," Toby answered truthfully. Sarah was not dumb enough to put anything down in writing._

_"Listen, you little shit. Why would they choose her to replace the Goblin King and not me? Do you know anything?" Toby did know something. Sarah commanded the same magic as the Goblin King. But no one knew that but Toby. And he was damned if he was going to let this bitch know it. Morwen gritted her teeth and grabbed Toby by his shirt. Toby struggled against her, and she sat him down and patted his cheek gently._

_"You know, Foundling, when it comes time to do your sexual training, I will be first in line," Morwen whispered throatily, and then she slapped his face as hard as she could manage. Her nails split his lip when it came across, and he tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. She got up, and her stilleto heels clicked as she walked away._

Toby raised the tiny crystal Sarah had given him before she had left for the Underground. He stared into its' clear depths and spoke her name. Then he waited for an answer.

&&&

Sarah was standing next to Jareth in his study when Toby's voice sounded in the vaults of her mind. She froze and held up her hand, silencing the Goblin King. Jareth sneered at the interruption.

"What?" he mouthed, obviously irritated.

Sarah twirled her hand, and a small crystal appeared. Toby's face appeared in the sphere, and both Sarah and Jareth could see the boy's tear-stained face.

"Sarah! I am glad this thing worked!" Toby said gratefully.

"Toby, you are looking well," Jareth commented.

"Your Majesty, I am glad to see you are okay," Toby replied.

"I take it that something happened?" Sarah asked, eager to figure out what was going on. Toby knew only to use the crystal in case of emergency.

"Sarah, I have a feeling we have been tricked, or lied to," Toby told her in a small voice. Sarah knew that Toby was afraid she would doubt him. But one did grow up quick in a place filled with spies and assassins. She started to grow angry on the inside, Toby's turn of phrase reminding her of the discussion she and Jareth had about her upbringing.

"Does this involve Morwen?" Sarah asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

"She's been asking a lot of questions, Sarah. She's sniffing around for information on you. She was trying to pry information out of me, but I didn't tell her a thing!" Toby said with pride in his voice.

"What kind of questions?" Sarah asked, dread growing in her stomach.

"She wanted to know why they would choose you to replace the Goblin King instead of her," Toby recalled.

Sarah blinked in shock, "Me? Replace Jareth? Why? Never mind, I have a feeling you know. What else did you discover?"

"It's not only Morwen. I sat on some information for a bit, until I was sure you were back at His Majesty's castle," Toby took a deep breath before continuing, "Sarah, Founder Gabriel and Founder Corsair are behind Morwen poisoning His Majesty. They set it all up. They want to somehow get rid of him and put you on the throne. They believe that once they do, they can freely invade the Underground and rule it themselves. What it boils down to is that they want to use you as a puppet, a figurehead. They would give you orders to issue, and you would do it. They believe they have you trained that well. This place has become a nightmare. I want to leave. The one place I have always called home, and I want nothing more than to leave it," Toby told her, a note of uncharacteristic fear in his voice.

"Are they watching you? Do they suspect you?" Sarah asked. She did not want to lose her cool in front of Toby, or in front of the Goblin King.

"I doubt it. No one even comes to get me for training anymore. I think they are too busy planning everything," Toby told her.

Sarah turned to Jareth, "Your Majesty, may Toby come to stay here temporarily, as a guest of your household? It looks like we may be living Underground very soon"

"We can talk about this after we are done talking to Toby, but for now, Toby, you need to have everything packed and ready for when Sarah says you need to go" Jareth told the boy via the crystal.

"There are only a few items I care to take with me, and they are always packed," Toby said soberly.

"Make sure you are ready to go, and in full gear, by tomorrow morning. Act like everything is normal if someone asks you. I am coming back, but I have a few loose ends I have to tie up before I can leave permanently," Sarah explained.

"Stay out of sight if you can, and try to stay off of anyone's mind," Jareth offered.

"I'm good at being invisible," Toby smiled.

Toby saluted, and then the crystal popped in Sarah's hand.

"Sarah, you cannot stay here after this is done. What exactly are we doing, anyways?" Jareth asked.

"Well, you have choices. You certainly have enough power to just seal the portal right now, without any preamble. But, Toby is up there. And at one time, you expressed an interest in making him your heir. So I have to assume you liked him. So, sealing the portal would mean leaving him to whatever torture they will devise for him. You could let me go back and then seal it, but then you will lose Toby and I. We can be very valuable and useful. So, the other option is to fight. I will go back, and I will take care of a few things. I will ferret out some more information as to what they planned to do and then I will leave with Toby. More than likely, there will be bloodshed involved, since I plan to kill Morwen while up there. They will try to follow me through the portal. When I come through, we will fight them off and then seal the portal," Sarah explained.

"Why does it seem like the toughest option is the only real option I have?" Jareth moaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I do not like to beg. But I will ask that you do this for us. You have no real incentive, save a connection that is tenuous at best. But that connection is the only hope for Toby and I. Now that I know what I know about the life I have lived, I no longer want that for the only person I have ever considered family. Toby deserves more than that," Sarah sounded vulnerable for the first time in a long time. She hated that emotion in her voice, the weakness it conveyed. She had held out hope that Jareth had been wrong. She had hoped that it would not come to this. What did she think, she would just be able to go back, knowing what she knows? Would it ever be the same? Would the world ever be the same?

Jareth snapped his fingers to get the unfocused Sarah's attention, "After this, you will be in my debt. I will have you and Toby fighting on my side. I will set you up with a life here Underground, if we succeed, and if I should need you, then I will call you, and you will be obligated to come. No one else Underground has a full trained spy, assassin, and courtesan at their disposal," Jareth smirked.

Sarah wanted to hit him. But right was right. She and Toby would owe him a debt should they survive. They would not be welcome, and also would surely be killed as soon as they stepped one foot Aboveground. This would be her home starting tomorrow morning, and she did not know exactly how she felt about that.

"We will need to be prepared for anything," Sarah murmured.

The fact that she could say that with no emotion in her voice told Jareth Sarah was back to being on the job, so to speak. In the last couple of days her voice had grown warmer, her manner had become more independent instead of robotic. He had seen flashes of the fifteen-year-old Sarah that had run his Labyrinth. But now that girl was gone again. He had no clue if or when she would reappear.

"This is all moving quite fast," Jareth commented.

"Some of the best things move the fastest," Sarah commented, "We need to give Alis and Alun their memories back before I leave. Let's go"

"What? My two most loyal servants?" Jareth asked in surprise.

"Look, it is your call. But, keep this in mind: they have the training. And we will need all the manpower we can get. Chances are, some of The Order will be able to make it through the portal before we can close it. Alun is strong, and Alis has the training also. They may have never made it all the way to Found, but it was not because they were not up to snuff. Even with summoning all your subjects to fight, we will be lost without Alis and Alun," Sarah shrugged her shoulders as she waited for an answer from the Goblin King.

Jareth waited a moment, then waved for Sarah to follow him. He hated when she was right. He hated when anyone but him had the answers. He knew it was more than likely because he was used to being the one with all the solutions. But, he knew Sarah was the authority on the place she had come from. She knew these men and women like the back of her hand. They were all born and bred the same. What had changed her? What had made her different? Why did she break the chains and the molds that had held her? Why did she not just comply, like so many senseless automatons? She and that boy, Toby. They both had seen something different. They had known all along, there was something else. He had never met two creatures more fascinating, other than himself.

Alis and Alun were in the library. When they walked in, Alis was dusting, and Alun was writing in a journal. They both stood and bowed in respect.

"Come here, both of you. Hold out your left hands and close your eyes. Say nothing and do not move, no matter what," Jareth commanded. The obedient servants did as they were told. Jareth conjured two vials, and then a stone blade. With the blade, he made two small incisions on their left palms. They both made no noise as the crimson blood welled into a bead on their skin. Jareth captured some of the blood in the vials, "Let blood be memory's river. Dwyn nhw cefnogi!"

A drop of blood fell from each of the vials, back onto the wounds made by the stone blade. Alis and Alun gasped as a blue light encompassed their hands. As fast as it had come, it was gone. The two servants dropped their hands, the wounds going unheeded.

"Foundling Alis, Foundling Alun, we have need of your services," Jareth told them authoritatively.

The two of them looked at Jareth, and then at Sarah. The realization of who she was dawned on them suddenly.

"Sarah? Little Sarah?" Alis asked her.

"Found Sarah now. We all grow up sometime, Alis. We need your help," Sarah told her.

"What is going on? Why have we been given our memories back after so long?" Alun asked, his intrigue honed mind scanning his surroundings.

"It is not for any happy reason, I assure you. The kidnapping of His Majesty here was planned by our Order, by the Founders. They used Found Morwen to do it. Foundling Toby has found out that they plan to assassinate the king, and then put a puppet on the throne in his place. That puppet was to be me. They plan to then use the portal to take over the Underground for themselves. We are going to stop them," Sarah explained.

"That's insane," Alis commented.

"That is all this ever was, was insanity," Sarah said soberly.

"How are we going to stop them?" Alun asked.

"I am going to go back for the night, or the rest of the night. I plan to find out more information, kill Morwen, get my things and Toby, and then come back. When I come back through, more than likely a lot of them will be able to get through before His Majesty can seal up the portal for good. All of us will be needed to fight them back only until His Majesty can accomplish that task," Sarah explained. Alis and Alun nodded in understanding.

"So, we are not doing anything to punish the whole Order?" Jareth asked, sounding slightly miffed.

"While I believe you are a great king, Your Majesty, I do not believe that even you can hope to take them all on," Alun bowed in respect.

"Your Majesty, they will not get away with this, I assure you. You may not know all I can do yet, but I can make sure they pay. After all, it is my Founder that is behind it," Sarah told him. Jareth took her at her word. Sarah was not someone the average person would ever want to mess with.

Jareth watched this exchange with fascination. She was obsessed with fighting. It was like she always had to fight. What was she fighting for? What was she fighting against? When this was done, and Sarah had no one left to fight, what would she do?

Glossary:

Dwyn nhw cefnogi – word for word in Welsh it means, "Bring them back".


	9. For the Greater Good

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. Quote from the poem "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll. Don't own that either. Some non-consensual sexual situations in this chapter, but not full on lemony non consensual. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet. BTW, I am sorry I have not been more diligent. I experienced some writer's block, and then Halloween came. Halloween week for me is like Xmas. I watched horror movies all week and goofed off. Then I got a nasty case of the flu, which I am still getting over. I promise to try harder. BTW, another thing: Some of you have been alluding to the fact that this is the climax of the story. It isn't. This is about the seventy-five percent point. There is more story after the fight with the Order. _

_**Chapter Eight –For The Greater Good**_

Jareth opened the wooden door to the chamber where the Carreg Teithiwr dwelled, and let Sarah step through. He was still trying to reconcile himself to how many people they would potentially have to fight. Sarah had estimated that there were about ten Founders, and about twenty Founds. Foundlings were more numerous, coming close to fifty. All in all, there were not very many people. It was just that the Founders and Founds had magical powers of some sort, although their skills differed. Some were away on assignment, and some would hide when it came to fighting this kind of battle. Sarah and Jareth agreed that he would seal the door to the castle after she left, and that it would be re-opened when she sent a crystal signal.

"Sometime tomorrow you should hear from me," Sarah stepped onto the stone, "I can temporarily seal the stone until you arrive. How long will you need to permanently disable it?"

"Without interruption? A good five minutes or so. It is a complex spell. How many people will be able to get through before then, do you think?" Jareth asked her.

"About twenty of their best people. Founders and Founds," Sarah calculated, then sighed. It would be difficult, "How many goblins do you have?"

"About five hundred scattered here and there. I will bring as many as I can in," Jareth assured her.

"If anything, the noisy buggers will distract the Order and make it harder for them to cast. Most of them do not have magic like ours, where we can cast at will. Most of them need a little prep time or concentration," Sarah mused. This was something Jareth already knew, although he did not tell her that.

"Well, you need to go now," Jareth told her. Sarah stared at the stone beneath her feet and concentrated. She flickered, and then she was gone.

Jareth stared at the stone for a moment and then went upstairs. He could prepare a few surprises for this Order, and make sure that not too many of them survived.

&&&

Sarah stared at the walled chamber around her. Aboveground. The castle she had called home for her whole life. Not anymore. After these next twenty-four hours, she would no longer be a Found, no longer a member of the Order. It was like ripping a rug out from under yourself, not knowing where or how you are going to land. A lot was riding on the one male she never knew whether to trust or not. He could just leave them Aboveground. Sarah knew she would just have to believe in him, because what she was going to do would definitely earn her a death far beyond imagining.

Sarah opened the door and strode through the halls, holding her head high. Her heels clacked loudly on the slate tiled floors, and she turned corner after corner until she reached Toby's room. She knocked twice, then knocked twice again.

" 'The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!'" his tiny voice whispered.

" 'Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch!'" Sarah answered, completing their password sequence. Toby opened the door, and Sarah slid inside the darkened room.

Toby looked wan, and a little pale. Sarah offered him a bit of chocolate from her pouch, and hugged him tightly. Toby rarely saw such affection from Sarah, and he hugged her back readily. She rifled around his room until she found the clear threads usually used for ligature strangulations, and she wrapped it around her wrist lightly. It was thin, and nearly invisible.

"See anything?" Sarah asked him when she was satisfied.

"No. Everything has been quiet. You know you will be punished for not reporting to Founder Corsair immediately, right?" Toby reminded her.

"I know it," Sarah nodded, and then she slipped back out of the room. It was two floors up that she came across her Founder's room. She knocked, then waited with her hands folded in front of her and her head down, looking subservient. The door opened, and Founder Corsair roughly grabbed her and dragged her into the room. Sarah was reminded of how strong he was. She did not flinch as she was slapped across the face, her mouth tasting blood as her lip was split.

"Why did you not come directly to my room when you arrived, Found?" he sneered as he undid his leather belt. His customary black robes were hanging on a hook near his bathroom, Sarah noticed.

"My apologies, sir. I just wanted to drop off something in my rooms," Sarah said softly, knowing it would make no difference. He was in the mood to be rough, and Sarah knew she would receive the brunt of his punishment.

"Take off your clothing," Found Corsair said rudely. Sarah did as she was told, and slowly removed her weapons and catsuit. The clear wire on her wrist remained, but the Founder never even saw it. Sarah waited to be commanded. Her Founder gestured for her to lay face down on the bed. She did as she was told.

He liked to beat her with that leather belt. He had been doing it for years. And today, it came down hard, turning the flesh on her back, bottom, and thighs red as boiled lobsters, and then they turned black and blue from repeated bruising. Sarah took it all without a whimper, even when her flesh finally split in places, and she began to leak crimson blood on the white sheets. It would be over soon, and then she could move on.

Founder Corsair's wrist began to tire, so he threw his belt aside and stripped off his clothing.

"On all fours, Found," he told Sarah, and Sarah rose up so she was on all fours. This part would hurt. She was bruised and bleeding, and he would slam into her from behind until she hurt even more. He liked it when she was hurt.

And it did hurt. Over and over, for what seemed like hours, he thrust into her, making her feel it. When he finally had enough, he pulled out of her and shot his load all over her bruised back. Then he collapsed. His breathing was hard as he lay on his stomach. Sarah turned over and pretended to be positioning herself to be more comfortable. The ligature wire came off her wrist easily though. She had thought to pump this vile man for information, but now, she only wanted his death.

Found Corsair had no time to react, no time to scream. No time to cast a spell or defend himself in any way. Sarah did not care. She quickly wrapped the ligature wire across his throat, and tightened it with all her might. He made choking noises as he died, and when it was over, a line of red blood snaked across his throat from where the wire had cut into his pallid skin.

Sarah stared at the man who had raised her, and there was no regret, no remorse. He had been a monster, and he deserved to die. She gathered up his body and stuffed it into a closet. She washed the blood and semen from her body, and then she redressed. She had missed the information, but she had gained some closure when it came to the man who had found her so long ago in Bangor.

"One down, two to go"

&&&

Sarah walked down the hallway, and turned left. She followed that hallway down past a suit of armor to the wooden door she knew belonged to Founder Gabriel. She was about to repeat what she had done to Found Corsair. She didn't like it, but she had no choice. Founder Gabriel was too powerful to let loose. He was behind this all. She knocked, and then waited patiently, looking as submissive as she could. Founder Gabriel answered the door wearing only a robe, and he looked at Sarah with scarcely veiled contempt.

"What do you want, Found?" he asked her, sneering.

"Founder Corsair sent me to you. He told me I am to please you, as punishment for not completing my assignment sooner. May I come in, please? It is cold in this hallway," Sarah needed to get inside before someone saw her. Founder Gabriel moved aside and motioned for her to come in. Sarah moved in, and closed the door behind her. She knelt, her hands in her lap. Founder Gabriel only contemplated her for a moment before moving in front of her. He opened his robe to reveal a half hard member.

"Please me, and maybe I will not hurt you," Founder Gabriel commanded. Sarah did as she was told, employing all her knowledge in the arts of oral seduction. It worked, and soon Founder Gabriel was pulling her up.

"Remove your clothing and get on the bed. On all fours please," Founder Gabriel told her. Sarah did as she was told, careful to make sure he did not see the clear wire. She climbed onto the silk covered bed. Would be a shame to stain such lovely sheets.

Sarah got on all fours and waited patiently. When Founder Gabriel go onto the bed, and started feeling for a hole different than Founder Corsair had used, Sarah knew she was in trouble. He would not be gentle with her, he would not care that she had never had anal intercourse. He was about to rape her ass, and she could do nothing about it.

She was right. He did not care. He forced himself in, and continued to force himself in, over and over. She could feel blood start to course down her thighs, hot and fresh. She did not cry, did not make one noise. She let him use her. He used her until he shot his semen into her tight, injured ass. It burned as he pulled out of her, and it would continue to burn for hours.

Founder Gabriel sat on the edge of his bed, contemplating the sweet ass he had just fucked. The blood had been an unexpected treat. He had wanted her to suffer, but he had not known she would hurt that much. He was glad –

Sarah silenced Founder Gabriel's thought processes with one sharp twist of her wrists, locking the clear wire around his throat. He too, was now silenced. And she was once again vindicated. She silently cleaned up the scene and hid the body.

_Only Morwen left_, Sarah thought to herself, _and then Toby and I can start a new life._

&&&

Sarah did not have to look far to find Morwen. The Found was in the gardens, staring into a pond. Sarah sauntered up to her, acting as casual as possible. She did not get within ten feet of Morwen before her fellow Found threw up a barrier.

"What do you want, Sarah?" Morwen asked her nastily.

"Your plans did not work, you know that right? You know all your plans are falling apart now?" Sarah needed Morwen to drop the shield. Her plan worked. Morwen stood, and dropped the shield to make her way into the castle.

"You know, Founder Gabriel would be happy to hear those words from you. I always knew you were a traitor. What, couldn't resist the Goblin King's charms? Sloppy seconds honey, I already used him. You could have had him back when you were younger, but you were too pure for that, too virtuous. He offered you the world, and you turned it down. Well, I have got news for you. I am going to be Queen. I am going to show them, show you. Jareth would marry me in a second!" Morwen rushed for the door, but Sarah was faster, and cut her off.

"Oh no, poor Morwen. Sorry, we figured out it was you that poisoned the king. Jareth kind of wants nothing to do with you. Your life is forfeit Underground. And as for telling Founder Gabriel, go ahead, tell him yourself. He wants to see you anyways. He told me to tell you to go right into his room. I'll follow," Sarah opened the door for Morwen, and the two walked down the halls. Morwen kept glancing over her shoulder, sure that Sarah would try something, but Sarah kept an expression of total neutrality.

"Aren't you in the least bit suspicious of me?" Sarah taunted her as they walked, "After all, I could be leading you into a trap"

"I could take you on any day, with my eyes closed. You wouldn't dare!" Morwen seethed, arrogance brimming over in her voice. She obviously thought herself the superior being. That suited Sarah just fine. Ego would bring her down.

Morwen opened the door to Founder Gabriel's chambers and stepped inside. Sarah stepped in behind her and closed the door. Sarah shook out the clear wire and jumped at Morwen, looping the wire around her neck. Unfortunately her timing was a second off, and Morwen ducked. Sarah dropped the wire and aimed a kick at Morwen's head. Morwen caught Sarah's foot and twisted it, sending Sarah into a spin that landed her on the ground. Sarah jumped up and threw a series of punches at Morwen. Morwen dodged them easily, and then she threw a roundhouse kick of her own at Sarah. Sarah backed off. They were at a stalemate when it came to fighting. They had been both been trained at the same time. But, Morwen was weaponless. Sarah drew her katana and stood in a proper stance.

"You think your little sword is going to help you out, you bitch?" Morwen laughed. Then she charged Sarah. Her mistake.

Fortune may favor the bold, but Morwen's position was too open for her to really survive, and Sarah was too well trained to ignore it. Her eyes did not even register the moment when her head was severed from her body. It flew through the air, her black hair fanning out slightly. And it landed, blood stump down, on the stone floor. The remaining part of her body collapsed in a heap. Sarah noted that blood spattered the walls from the arterial spurt, and she was also once again covered with it. She left the Found where she was, and cleaned herself up. Then, she ran down the halls. She was ahead of schedule, but someone would surely discover these bodies soon.

Once she was back in her room, she packed the very few things she had, and she took a bath. The water was tinted red by the time she got out, and the hot water burned her new injuries. She was torn in two sensitive places, and the welts on her back and thighs were slowly clotting. She put on her white robe as she emerged from the bath, and sat in front of her vanity.

The Sarah who stared back at her in the mirror was not the same Sarah who had left this place to rescue the Goblin King. She had changed. Her eyes held a deadness, an emptiness she could not shake. It was like someone had taken every light in her and put it out. She combed her hair like a robot, and braided it like an automaton. She was a young woman no longer. A full fledged woman stared back at her, and she wondered when she had began to look so old.

Once redressed, Sarah grabbed her small bag and walked out of that room for the last time. She knocked on Toby's door and gave the password. Toby stepped out of the room, clad in a black leather suit much like her own. His own short sword glinted from across his back, and a knife sat in a small scabbard on his thigh. Sarah sighed in regret and patted his head.

"This is it Toby. We walk slowly and without any kind of sign that something is wrong. If we can get out of here without anyone seeing us or finding out what we have done, then we can avoid any kind of conflict. I do not have high hopes for that, but we will see what we can do. Walk tall and look straight ahead. Let me do the talking. Ready?" Sarah asked the little boy. Toby nodded, his eyes assuming a blankness befitting a Foundling.

They rounded corner after corner, and then Sarah could faintly hear footsteps. Running footsteps. Sprinting footsteps. They had been found out. Sarah prayed she could summon enough crystal magic to seal the door temporarily. Just enough time to get to the other stone, in the Underground.

"Hey! Stop!" someone yelled at them, and Sarah stepped up her pace. Toby matched her. They had a good thirty yards on the Order, and they reached the door just before them. Sarah opened it, and ushered Toby in. She quickly conjured crystal spheres, noting in passing that they had grown bigger, and she threw them in rapid succession. They exploded on impact, showering the enemy with broken crystal. Sarah then removed three flash grenades from her belt and threw them down. They exploded, momentarily blinding the assembled assassins. Sarah closed the door behind her, and sealed it weakly with crystal.

"Shit!" Sarah yelled, hoping it would be enough. Toby already stood on the stone, "Concentrate on the stone, and then concentrate on an identical stone in a stone room!"

Toby flickered slightly, and then he was gone. The seal was beginning to crack, and Sarah jumped onto the stone herself. The last thing she saw was the seal finally breaking, and the room flooding with people who wanted nothing more than her death.


	10. Do or Die

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: You know, I do not own anything from Labyrinth. Nope. I am sorry it is taking me a while to get from chapter to chapter, but I cannot even begin to explain everything that is going on right now. Drama sucks. Toby's quote is attributed to Alfred Lord Tennyson. Brief medical terminology contained therein. Bad language too. I decided to give my beta the week off, since it is a holiday, so this chapter is unbetaed. That is so not a word. _

_**Chapter Nine – Do or Die**_

Jareth stared at the wooden door, wishing for once that he had that second sight, or anything that would allow him to see what was transpiring Aboveground. He hated admitting that he worried for Sarah, but it seemed the most obvious thing, besides saving his kingdom from these usurpers.

"Damn and double damn! Sarah, what is taking you so long!" Jareth muttered fiercely under his breath. True, she had said she would be back tomorrow, and it was tomorrow, but it seemed to him that she would be back by now. He could only think that something had gone wrong, while trying to convince himself that she was just being thorough about whatever it was she was doing.

About two hundred goblins of various sizes and attributes stood behind him. Alis and Alun sat stood to his right and left, both clad in new outfits befitting their new roles. The boots they wore had hidden blades in the toes. They both wore long black pants that fit easily over the boots, and both wore sleeveless black tops that molded to their bodies. They each had knives strapped to their wrists, and another strapped to each thigh. They would be formidable foes to almost anyone. After Sarah had left, they had quickly taken to sparring, to see what skills they still had. The training was intact, the skills remained, even if they were slightly rusty. They felt like they had a mission, and they were intent on completing it.

Jareth was about to start pacing, much to his own embarrassment, when a crystal sphere magically floated through the door and into his hand. Jareth briefly had time to register that her crystals had grown slightly bigger before he magically unlocked the door.

"Toby! To the door! Stay near it, and run if things get to rough!" Sarah yelled at the young boy. Toby did as he was told, but he still readied himself for battle. Sarah raised an eyebrow at him quickly and he shrugged.

"Ours is not to reason why, ours but to do and die," he simply stated, and Sarah nodded. She had no right to ask him to run when he was fighting for freedom as much as she was.

Sarah, Alis and Alun stood around Jareth, leaving him just enough room to see the stone, not twenty feet from them. He needed to be able to see the stone in order to work the spell. This spell was old magic, and not associated with his crystal magic. He used a bottle of sand to make a circle around himself.

"Here they come!" Alun warned, even though it was apparent to all of them what was happening. There was a slight shimmer to the air before the first Found stepped out.

"Found Alastair," Sarah muttered, trying to remember what this particular Found's power was.

"The fingernails!" Toby shouted, using his power of recollection. Alastair frowned, but flicked both hands just the same, and they were suddenly faced with two hands that had razor blades for fingernails.

Sarah drew her wazikashi and charged, knowing she did not want Alis and Alun anywhere near this one. As she engaged Alastair in battle, she briefly saw the shimmer again, and a female Found stepped off the stone.

Toby tried hard to remember this one's power, but before he could even remember who she was, she was on Alis with a vengeance, sweeping glowing hands. Ah, scratch that. She was sweeping flaming hands. Alis engaged her in hand to knife combat, using whirling kicks to try to get to the Found's hands with the blades stuck in the toes of her boots.

Sarah swung fiercely at her opponent, engaging those razors, making terrifying noises and showering the ground with orange sparks. Sarah fought like a samurai, or even like a ninja when warranted. This man fought like he was possessed, sometimes spinning around fast enough to catch Sarah a little off-guard. She stepped back and thought quickly about her plan of attack before charging again.

Jareth knelt on the ground, seeing Alun leave his side to engage the Found and Founder that had come through the stone, one after another. He muttered a few words of the incantation and mixed the liquids in front of him. He saw Sarah behead the Found that had emerged from the stone first, and he saw the crimson blood spatter her face and hair. He looked back and down and concentrated.

Alis had her knife drawn, and the blue eyed blond in front of her was bleeding in several places from where Alis had sliced her. They still fought on, until the blond made a fatal mistake, slipping on her own blood. Alis landed on her in less than a second and slit her throat, not even having time to watch the life fade from the Found's eyes.

The room now held ten enemies, and Sarah could feel them start to get a little overwhelmed as she fought off two men with maces.

"Toby, release the goblins! The Founders are coming through!" Sarah shouted. Toby nodded and opened the door, releasing Jareth's subjects into the room. Half of them made a barrier around their king, and the other half started to cause trouble for the enemy.

Founders that came out found themselves blinded by goblins that latched on to their faces and would not let go. Founds all of a sudden found themselves being scratched, clawed, and some fainted from strange odors.

Jareth was finally able to finish the spell, and the last step was to pour this liquid that resembled wine onto the stone.

"Sarah! Cover me!" Jareth shouted. Sarah abandoned her battle with a Found when a goblin latched onto his face. She ran to him, a gore spattered mess, and got behind him. He carried the chalice with both hands as he walked, and Sarah fought off anyone who tried to approach. Finally, Jareth stood in front of the stone.

"Chwalu hwn gallu carreg!" Jareth yelled, and threw the liquid on the stone. It sparkled, then it shimmered, then it faded, until only smooth ground was left. That was the end of the Stone of Traveller's, and the end to the invasion. Satisfied, Jareth and Sarah turned back to the enemy, ready to fight.

Alis and Alun both had wounds, but not so severe that they could not continue to fight. There were a few dead goblins here and there, littering the floor. Sarah and Jareth split up, and each went a different way.

Jareth hurled crystals at Founds and Founders a like, and then came upon a Founder that was weaving a spell in the air with his hands. He did not both to stop as Jareth approached, even though he knew he had no chance.

"You know you will lose," Jareth told him.

"Yes, but I still fight. By the way, I heard your little Found girlfriend over there is quite the good fuck," the little man sneered. Jareth did not bother with wasting a crystal this time. He just reached out and snapped the worm's neck.

Jareth threw crystals at the remaining foes and those fighters suddenly found themselves encased in unbreakable crystals, floating in the air. Sarah looked at him, unperturbed.

"Ruin the fun, why don't you?" she asked him, amused.

"I'll teach you to do it too," he told her.

Alis and Alun started to gather up the little goblin bodies, and stacked them in the corner, for Jareth to deal with. Toby sat down on the ground, looking around him in amazement. A little blood had gotten on him, but he had not had to defend himself. Sarah was glad for that. Her catsuit was casually sliced in a few places, and her thigh in another.

"I thought that they would have more powerful spellcasters," Jareth mused, looking at Sarah speculatively.

"I took care of Founder Corsair and Founder Gabriel before we came, as well as Found Morwen. I chopped off her head," Sarah commented.

"How did you kill the Founders, Sarah?" Alis asked.

"You do not want to know. They are dead, that is what matters," Sarah told them. She saw no need to reveal the lengths she had gone to. It was do or die, as Toby had quoted.

"Sarah, you are covered with blood," Toby commented.

"Stating the obvious, Toby," Sarah said wearily as she wiped her forehead, smearing the crimson there. She winced in pain, and Toby knew something was wrong. Sarah never winced. She never even showed pain. He got up and held her hand.

"Is it bad?" he whispered to her, trying to make sure no one else heard. Sarah would not like the Goblin King to see her as weak.

"I need a doctor," Sarah told him. Toby's eyes went wide.

"What do I say?" Toby asked her.

"Tell him I need sutures for some of my cuts," Sarah told Toby as she sank to the ground, lying down on her stomach. She felt so weak, and she hated that. She was so tired…

"Your Majesty?" Toby asked politely. Jareth turned around and saw Sarah lying on the ground. He sprinted the few feet over to her and squatted next to her still form.

"She is unconscious, nothing more. She needs to see a physician," Toby told him. Alis knelt down also, and checked Sarah over.

"She could not bleed out from these wounds. They should only be causing her minor discomfort. She does need stitches though," Alis thoughtfully ran her fingers down Sarah's suit, and then, "Turn her over, Your Majesty. But carefully"

Alis worked very quickly but carefully, removing all her weapons and then easing off Sarah's catsuit. When it stuck to her back, Alis began to have suspicions.

"Toby, what did Sarah do?" Alis asked, fear in her voice. She remembered all too well how Founds could be punished.

"She did not go see her Founder right away when she came back. She stopped to see me first. That is a deliberate breach of protocol," Toby stated.

"Alun, would you please take Toby to a room? See that he bathes and is fed?" Jareth asked his valet. Alun nodded, and they walked from the room. Jareth looked at Alis. Alis started to peel Sarah's suit off her back, keeping hold of the soft, yet slick red leather.

Sarah's back was criss-crossed with welts and cuts, inflicted by a belt or strap. They continued to take the suit off, and then they saw the source of Sarah's blood loss.

"Oh, fuck!" Alis shouted as she saw the blood that stained Sarah's lower body, and the blood that continued to trickle out from her lower orifices.

"We need to get her to a bed. Go summon my healer. I will transport her to a room near mine," Jareth gathered the limp Sarah in his arms and transported them to a dark bedroom. It was clean, but had not been used for some time. He opened the drapes and let sunshine in, while also lighting candles. They would need all the light they could get. He grabbed some cloth from the closet near the bathroom and put it underneath Sarah. She was covered in blood.

"What the hell did you do?" Jareth whispered as he waited for the healer.

Alis came in a couple of minutes later, and Jareth was pacing. The healer, a Fae named Sian, raced to the bed. She checked Sarah over thoroughly, including looking between her legs. She sighed and stood.

"She needs to be put into a warm bathtub," she instructed. Alis moved into the bathroom and ran the water.

"Why warm? Won't that perpetuate the bleeding?" Jareth asked.

"I am going to put something in the water that will help her wounds heal quickly. But, I must warn you, Your Majesty. She has been very wounded. Not all these cuts you see, but…..she was raped. Both orifices, both within the last twelve hours. She is torn and bleeding. The poor girl," Sian told him. Jareth did not know what to say for once.

"The bath is ready," Alis told them. The healer went first, pouring the contents of a bottle into the water. It swirled green, then yellow, finally settling back to clear. Jareth picked Sarah up and carried her, and then set her into the stone bathtub. She was still unconscious. The water immediately turned pink from the blood on her skin, and then gradually became red.

Sian bathed Sarah while Alis and Jareth stood there, washing the blood and gore from her hair, and then she drained the water. Sarah started to involuntarily shiver as she became cold, but then she stopped as warm water filled up the tub again. Sian poured in another bottle, and the water turned lavender as Sarah soaked.

"What is that one for?" Jareth asked.

"To make her feel and smell good," Sian smiled at them, "Every girl likes that. In a few minutes move her back to the bed, lay her on her stomach and let her air dry on top of some cloth. The bleeding has stopped, but she needs time to heal. When she is dry call me again, and I will come back with pain medication and bandages"

Jareth watched the healer leave and then turned to Alis, "Raped?"

"Sarah was always willing to do whatever it took to get a job done. Chances are, this was how she got close enough to the Founders to kill them. She let them rape her, and then when they had their guard down she killed them. She did us a great favor, but at great risk to herself. Toby is the only family she has left, and she wanted to make sure he was okay," Alis explained.

"Toby is not family though," Jareth commented.

"Close enough," Alis smiled at him.

&&&

"She has been asleep for hours now"

_Alis?_

"Is she going to be okay?"

_Toby?_

"I think she might be waking up," Sarah heard Jareth say as her eyes fluttered. She blinked, and the room came into focus.

_Soft bed, blankets, bandages on body, covered in thick nightgown, hair combed and braided, clean, drapes closed. Toby, Jareth, Alis, Alun, unknown person in room._

"Who is she?" Sarah asked, not liking how weak her voice was.

"Sian, my healer. She has been tending to you," Jareth explained.

"Will all of you please leave the room? I need to speak with Sarah," Sian asked. All of them filed out, closing the door behind them.

"Sarah, you have seriously injured your vagina and your rectum. Both were torn and needed to be repaired. You cannot use either orifice without pain for a few months. This means a liquid diet until then, and no sexual intercourse. You need to stay in this bed for a couple of weeks to let things heal. After that time you may get up for short periods of time. I am going to appoint an apprentice healer to stay in this room with you, not only to help, but also to keep you company," Sian told her patient.

"When will I be able to leave this place? This is not my permanent home," Sarah inquired.

"If all goes well, you will be able to leave in about two months. At that point you will be able to ride in a carriage, but not on a horse. That is about the best I can do. I will leave you to your visitors and rest now. Is that acceptable?" Sian asked.

"Fine, thank you," Sarah murmured. Sian walked out the door, and Jareth came back in.

"Thought you would like to know that none of us were hurt very much. About twenty of my goblins died, and they have already been taken to be buried," Jareth told her, but he still paced.

"It is very obvious that you have something to say, Your Majesty. Why don't you just get it off your chest now, instead of wasting time and wearing a path in the floor?" Sarah asked him wearily.

"What were you thinking, doing that? Tempting fate like that? You could have been killed, or worse!" Jareth yelled at her.

"I personally do not think there are much worse things than death," Sarah mused, but Jareth gave her a sharp look that made her shut up.

"Sarah, do not think we do not appreciate what you did in order to get out of there. But, you very nearly killed yourself. When we peeled that suit off of you, there was so much blood. Your whole body was caked with it. I know you say you are resilient and tough, but no one is immune to everything," Jareth told her.

"I knew what I was getting into. I am not going to mope about and whine about how two men raped me. I let them rape me. So, in a way, they did not actually rape me. I consented. I let them do this to me in order to get close enough to kill them soundlessly. Ligature wire may not be my preferred method of assassination, but it did the job. No one heard a peep. Got the job done, didn't I? I am sorry that I will be an inconvenience for some time. The healer says I will not be able to be moved for a couple of months. I am sure that I can repay your hospitality in some way once I am well," Sarah told him. Jareth waved his hand dismissively.

"It does not matter. I have a huge castle here, two more people will not matter," Jareth told her.

"May I see Toby, please?" Sarah asked politely.

"I will send him in," Jareth told her.

Toby was still wearing his battle gear, along with his weapons. Sarah guessed he refused to part with them. Even as a Foundling you were trained not to trust places you did not know. Even though Toby had been here when he was just a babe, he was only in two rooms of this place. If Sarah knew where they had put her weaponry she would have it next to her also.

"How long will you be out of commission?" Toby asked her.

"Two months. So, how does it feel, not being a Foundling anymore?" Sarah asked.

"How does it feel to not be a Found anymore?" Toby asked her.

"I don't know yet," Sarah told him, "But I have something I want you to do. Please, ask Jareth if you may have a tutor while you are here. A real tutor. You have missed out on a real education. Plus, this realm will be our home now, and you need to know all about it. Knowledge is power, right?" Sarah asked him.

"And power is everything?" Toby retorted.

"No, you know power is not everything. And you will come tell me everything you learn, every day," Sarah told him.

"Okay Mom," Toby sighed.

"Sis. I am too young to be your mom," Sarah teased. An awkward smile graced both their faces, and then Toby got up and left, closing the door behind him.

Sarah laid awake for a long time, thinking on how much had happened in the last couple of days. She processed it and stored it away in her memory. Her last thoughts before falling asleep again were of an unknown future. Before she had left to rescue Jareth she knew where her life was going and what she would be doing until the day she died. Now she did not even know what tomorrow would bring.

_Translations:_

_Chwalu hwn gallu carreg – Welsh. It means word for word "Destroy this power stone"_

_Sian – Welsh form of the name Jeanne_

_Note: Do you like yaoi Gundam Wing fanfics? A fan of 1x2, 3x4, and 5x6? I am going to recommend a fic called "Broken Warriors" by pyrzm on mediaminer(dot)org._


	11. Where Do We Go From Here?

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. To those of you waiting for an update for "Say Goodnight"…be patient. Please. I am not usually in the habit of waiting this long to update a story, but my muse has all but deserted me for Gundam Wing fics recently. I have written two and have another three or so on the burner. I am trying really hard. I do not own "Silent Worship" (the song which Sarah sings to herself). That was written by Handel. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet (get well soon!)_

_**Chapter Ten – Where Do We Go From Here?**_

Sarah sat on the edge of her bed, contemplating her feet. Up until these last couple of weeks she had never even really seen her feet. They were usually encased in her red leather boots. She had nice feet, she decided. They were slender, they were relatively smooth for someone who wore boots all day. She guessed that the regular pedicures from her maid Glynnis were partially to blame for the smoothness. Her toes were not too long, and they were evenly spaced. The nails were the color they were supposed to be, and they definitely did not smell in any way.

And this was currently her problem. She had grown to like having bare feet over the last couple of weeks. But today was the day she could finally get up and move around, and she needed shoes to do so. The floors of the castle were stone and too cold to walk on with just bare feet. Her red boots were out of the question. While she adored them, but they were a symbol of a life she had left behind very willingly. A life of killing, maiming, torture, and all other sorts of activities she would rather forget. She knew she had to reconcile herself to the fact that she had been an assassin, used for a purpose she had no control over. For some reason, it was hard admitting she had been so blind. She had taken to calling it a truth of a lie. She had always lived a lie, and the truth was that she had never known it. She felt blind, she felt stupid. Some days, she just felt downright sorry for herself.

But now, she had a chance to be happy. Toby was doing well with the tutors Jareth had provided. He especially liked anything to do with science. That was what he was currently doing. Every day he came to her in the afternoons and told her about what he had learned from Andras, his tutor. Andras was a very good tutor. Toby raved about him. And today, she could actually get up and move around. But something, or rather someone, else was responsible for her slight bit of happiness.

His Majesty, Jareth the King of Goblins, was a refreshing bit of light in an otherwise quite dreary day. Glynnis could open the drapes and throw open the windows, but Sarah did not even feel halfway better until the King came to see her. He brought her breakfast every morning, even after Sarah told him he was taking away from her maid's job. But he just laughed and told her that Glynnis was probably grateful for the time off. He would stay there while she ate, and he told her about things happening in the Underground. He would go away until after dinner, when he would come back and try to teach her more about the crystal magic. He also was teaching her more about the Underground, and a small bit about Underground etiquette. It did not differ much from Aboveground etiquette, which she knew by heart. He stayed as late as he could, usually until he was almost too tired to stand.

Sarah often wondered why he did this. It was not like he needed to. She supposed he did it because he felt a little indebted, or because kings were inherently lonely. Maybe he did it for some reason not even he was aware of. All Sarah knew was that she was grateful for the occasional company.

Sarah looked at what she was wearing, then looked again at the selection of shoes. It was warm outside, so Sarah had put on a pair of loose black pants a seamstress had made for her, along with a soft burgundy sweater that Glynnis had knitted for her. Sarah had been surprised at the gesture, but Glynnis had only smiled and patted her hand. Sarah had on a plain white shirt under the sweater. She knew that once this whole thing was over she would have to give into the Underground costuming customs, which included dresses and undergarments. It had been a long time since Sarah had bothered to wear undergarments. They only hindered her before. She resolved that if she had to dress like some fairy princess, she was going to be a damned sexy one. It was just not in her nature to be prim and proper. A lot of red. She would be wearing a lot of red. Jareth had laughed when she told him that.

"Loafers it is," Sarah sighed, and picked up a black pair of shoes that were the closest looking thing to loafers the goblin cobblers had made. She slipped on the loafers without benefit of socks, and laughed at the sight. But she had no socks yet, and so she resigned herself to being sockless. She got up off the bed and walked around the room. She opened the windows herself for once, since Glynnis had not come in yet this morning. As a matter of fact, neither had Jareth. Sarah decided to brush her hair before either of them came in. She took down her braid and walked over to her vanity. She grabbed the big brush there and walked back to the window. She could see the whole south side of the Labyrinth from here. The sun was just rising, and she found the sight to be refreshing. Usually she was just sitting in the bed, waiting for someone to open the windows.

Sarah drew the brush through her hair and hummed a tune, then started to sing quietly.

"_Did you not hear my lady,_

_Go down the garden singing._

_Blackbird and thrush lie silent,_

_To hear the alleys ringing._

_Oh saw you not my lady,_

_Out in the garden there._

_Shaming the rose and lilies,_

_For she is twice as fair_

_Though I am nothing to her,_

_Though she must rarely look at me._

_And though I could never woo her,_

_I love her 'til I die._

_Surely you heard my lady,_

_Go down the garden singing._

_Silencing all the songbirds,_

_And setting the alleys ringing._

_But surely you see my lady,_

_Out in the garden there._

_Rivaling the glittering sunshine,_

_With her glory of golden hair"_

Sarah had needed to know a lot of songs for her duties as a courtesan, and that was one of them. For those more aristocratic clients that needed to hear something feminine and enchanting. The tune was haunting, and the words romantic. One wanted to lose themselves in the melody. This was why she rarely sang. She cared not to have someone that enthralled with her. But one male, who always had one eye on her even as he was doing something else was already enthralled with her. He always had been.

Sarah heard her door open, and looked over her shoulder at Jareth. She gave him a curtsy, hating the fact that she had to do it, but grateful she could. Jareth cocked his head in curiosity when he saw that her hair was down, but said nothing.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Sarah said in her rich voice.

"Good morning, Sarah. I brought you breakfast," Jareth sat the tray down at a small table near the window, then came to her side, "What's troubling you?"

"Shoes," Sarah sighed.

"Shoes?" Jareth asked, perplexed.

"I do not want to wear them. I also do not want to wear dresses or skirts or undergarments. But I know I have to," Sarah ran the brush through her hair again and then walked over to the vanity, "Can you braid hair, Jareth?"

"I can," Jareth told her. Was she actually going to let him touch her hair?

"Can you?" Sarah held out her brush and an elastic tie she had on her. Jareth stood behind her and took the offered tools. He brushed her hair carefully at first, then increased the pressure of the strokes.

"Jareth? It is brushed," Sarah told him with a slight smile. Jareth divided the hair into three equal parts, and started to braid. It was so long! He finished in no time flat and secured the braid with the elastic tie.

"Good?" Jareth asked.

"Yeah, thanks. Do you have to be going now?" Sarah asked.

"Today I am yours. Well, for the most part. I thought we could do some magic tutoring," Jareth suggested.

"That is very accommodating of you, Your Majesty. You don't have to, you know?" Sarah got up from her seat and walked over to her breakfast.

"In a way, I do have to. I thought that since you are on your feet now, we could try teleportation," Jareth told her.

"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked as she took a bite of toast.

"When you are able to leave, I plan to grant you a small duchy at the edge of my kingdom. You will be under my rule, but you will rule that area of my kingdom. You will be Sarah, Duchess of Llyn Coeden. It is an area with a lake and woods. There is not much else there. Maybe a couple of cottages with other people, but not much to take care of otherwise. You deserve some time off. Toby will go with you, and Andras will take care of his tutoring there. But my point is that, when you go, I will not be able to see you or help you all the time. You need to know everything you can learn about your magic while you are here. I will be downstairs in the audience room while you are finishing up here," Jareth shut the door behind him, leaving Sarah alone with her thoughts.

&&&

A month later, Sarah was seated on the balcony outside the library when Jareth came to see her.

"How are you this fine evening, Sarah?" he asked.

"I'm fine Jareth," Sarah smiled at him, lying behind it all.

Sarah was not fine. She wanted to be fine, but the world would not let her be. She had been sitting in this castle for a month and a half, and she still had no clue what she was doing. She did her katas every morning, trying hard not to strain herself even though memories of her training almost demanded she push herself as far as she could go. Every day she ran through the gardens, keeping up her stamina and the strength in her legs. Every evening she meditated, and tried to master her magic. But that was all just the problem. What the hell was she doing all this for? What good was she now? She was being shipped off to be some Countess for some small estate in the woods. She felt like a horse being put out to pasture. She was born special. She was born to fight, and born to bear extremely heavy physical burdens. She was combat-ready, and she was willing. Only, there was no one left to fight. There were no more battles to be won, and only she was left. She could not even use her sexual expertise due to her injuries and that fact that Jareth had made it clear during their travels that he not only did not want her, but he found her kind to be revolting. Trained courtesans. Trained from adolescence to please men and women alike. A trained assassin, trained to kill without a sound and without a clue left behind. She could poison one man in a dinner of 300 people, but she could not ride horse. It was anticlimactic, to say the least.

Alis and Alun had gotten married not too long after she came to live here. They had definitely remembered everything, and decided to pick up where they had left off. They had been married for two weeks now, and Sarah rarely saw them. The only person that would pleasure her with a duel was Toby, and she could not put her heart into a battle with a half-trained warrior.

Sarah had barely heard that Jareth was talking. She looked at him blankly, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, my mind wandered. Could you please repeat what you just said?"

"Nothing, nothing at all, except for wanting to know if you wanted me to have dinner with you tonight!" Jareth threw his gloved hands in the air and looked exasperated and a little angry.

_Give him what he wants Sarah. Just give them what they want and they will leave you alone._

"Of course, Your Majesty," Sarah curtsied her agreement.

"When we are away from court you may always call me Jareth, and you do not need to curtsy to me when we are not around the others either. We have known each other for too long for that," Jareth insisted.

_How long though, really? Does it feel like that long to you? You did not know it was a lie until you met me again. You lived your life thinking Sarah Williams was a reality, some ice princess that beat your Labyrinth fair and square, but took your heart too. Well, Sarah Williams was a lie. All that is left of her is me, a warrior without a war. What do you think of me now? Does the memory of me look the same? Have I tainted it all for you? No longer than thirteen hours, and I became a legend. No longer than thirteen hours, and I developed feelings for you. Then they took it all away. Without them, would I have ever been happy? Would I have had a mom and dad? Would I be married? Would I have kids?_

Jareth noticed Sarah had drifted away again, "Sarah? Are you in there?"

"I'm sorry, Jareth. I just have a lot on my mind, is all. When are we dining?" Sarah asked.

"I can come get you in a couple of hours. We will be dining on my balcony," Jareth told her. Sarah just nodded. Jareth left Sarah to her thoughts, while gathering thoughts of his own.

Sarah thought that maybe she would get in a nap before dinner. She had been having trouble sleeping at night. Soon after the fight and the destruction of the stone, she had started to have nightmares. In one, she was running down endless corridors, with fearsome beasts that she could never see chasing her down. In another, women whom she did not know piled their babies together and left them exposed to the elements while Sarah could do nothing to help them. A particularly fierce one had her teenage self being flogged, while she watched on. The steel tips of the scourge caressed the skin, breaking it over and over again. The blood spilled out of the shallow wounds and onto the stone floor. She never could see the assailant, but she knew the look on her teen self's face. The despair, the alienation. It was like someone had opened her soul with that deadly weapon. It was like she could not live until she had seen what she had become.

Back in her own room, she curled up in a ball and stared out the window at the sky. Glynnis came in shortly to set out a red dress made of silk for dinner, and then she left Sarah to her thoughts. She never wanted to know what went on behind those haunted eyes. Wasn't her business anyway.


	12. Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. There is a slight time jump between the last chapter and this one, just so you know. About a period of a month and a half passes during this chapter. Betaed by AngelaScarlet._

_**Chapter Eleven – Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow**_

Sarah held the skirt of her burgundy gown up slightly as she entered the lovely carriage. She and Toby were leaving for their new home today, at the lake in the woods. Sarah had been invested with the title of Duchess only yesterday, and now she had this lovely little crown to go with her lovely little title and her lovely little estate. Everything was just lovely, from the outside. After all, we must maintain proper royal decorum, correct?

Jareth watched as Sarah entered the coach, and he pulled Toby aside to speak with him quickly before they left.

"Toby, I want you to keep an eye on Sarah," Jareth told the boy.

"You've noticed it too, then?" Toby asked, his voice sounding a little tired.

"She has grown very quiet. Her skin is looking a little sallow, and she is not eating enough," Jareth told the boy.

"She has circles under her eyes," Toby added.

"I do not know if it is a temporary depression, or if she is just overwhelmed by everything, but keep me updated, and feel free to send a message via messenger bird whenever it is needed. I would ask the two of you to stay here until I am sure she is better, but Sarah is a very independent person, and I think she will appreciate her space," Jareth told Toby and then walked him to the door of the carriage. Toby nodded and got into the carriage with Sarah.

"Your Grace, I hope your trip is pleasant," Jareth offered.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Sarah said evenly, and then she looked away again. Jareth sighed. Why the girl was not happy, he did not know.

Jareth watched the carriage leave his kingdom, and then he walked back towards the castle. The heels of his boots sounded loudly on the stone, a sound he did not hear as he was lost in his thoughts. A goblin opened the door, and Jareth walked right through, not even seeing him. He collapsed on his throne, and stared straight ahead, seeing nothing.

He had been sure that Sarah would warm up to him and the others after she had begun to heal. Instead, she had drawn inward. She shared her meals with Jareth, but she did not eat more than a bird. She spent time with him, but rarely engaged him in the sort of conversation they had enjoyed while traveling together. It was like a part of her had been spirited away, taken away from her. And Jareth missed it. Jareth had thought, when she had rescued him, that he would miss the Sarah he had known from those years ago. Now, he found himself missing the newer Sarah: the Sarah who would fight fiercely and debate heatedly; the Sarah who could wield both the pen and the sword. The intelligent, brave, warrior Sarah.

And now she had gone, taking her beauty from this place.

&&&

Sarah was quiet the majority of the trip. This was not unusual in of itself. She was trained to observe first and discuss later. She was keeping her eyes open for enemies, and ears open for unwarranted sounds. She looked relaxed, but could pounce at a moment's notice if needed. The problem was, she did not need to.

_It feels too quiet. It feels too good. It is plenty, and not enough at the same time. _

Sarah felt like hammering her head with her fists. She had been over and over it a million times: she was no longer needed, but she knew that. That was why she was being sent away; that, and the fact that she had let those men use her. No one could even stand to look at her anymore. Used up Sarah. Worthless Sarah.

It was like she was drowning, and she could not get any air. She felt like she was suffocating. She could not get away from this. She could not kill people to alleviate this oppressiveness, and she could not continue to live like this. It was like she was not even Sarah anymore. It was like she was not even there.

_Am I even human? Do I even exist? Is this all a dream? A nightmare maybe? Who are you when everything you have ever been fades away?_

Sarah sighed and looked out the window while Toby napped lightly next to her. She no longer knew why life appealed to her anymore. Cast out from the only people she knew in this place, and relegated to a corner of a vast kingdom. A life in exile, when she had fought so hard to save this place.

And she did love the Underground. It was beautiful to look at, even in her depressed state. The trees were greener, the air was sweeter, the water was colder and fresher. It was truly enchanted, and she longed for the ability to appreciate it fully. But she felt so empty inside, so dead to it all.

So dead to it all.

&&&

_Your Majesty,_

_We are now settled in here. The place is beautiful, and we are very grateful for this opportunity. Do not worry about us, we will be fine now._

_Sarah_

"Come come now Sarah, can't you say anything personal?" Jareth muttered and opened the next letter, with a similar seal.

_Your Majesty,_

_Sarah does not know I am sending this. I know she wrote to you saying everything is fine and dandy. I tend to differ on that opinion. She is not eating very well, and she is sleeping a lot. Or she says she is. She spends a lot of time in her rooms. I think she may be depressed. I do not ask for your assistance just yet, but I will keep a close eye on her. _

_Toby_

"Interesting," Jareth tapped the folded letter against his chin and then set it down. He called Alun into his office using a crystal.

"Your Majesty?" Alun asked.

"Do you know if I have any pressing engagements in about a month's time?" Jareth asked.

"No, Your Majesty, I believe you are free at that time. May I ask why?" Alun asked curiously.

"It seems Her Grace is having a touch of depression. I am thinking a visit will cheer her up," Jareth explained.

"I see. I will make arrangements," Alun bowed and left the room.

&&&

Sarah sat in the bathtub, soaking in extremely warm water. The oil in the water was sandalwood, and it smelled rich and earthy. And it would have been an idyllic scene, were it not for the slight pink tinge the water had taken on.

Sarah studied the crimson droplet that clung to the razor sharp crystal. That was the great thing about crystal magic. She never needed to find anything sharp, she could just create it.

The first night in this place she had been a wreck. She felt so empty, and so dead! She laid on her bed, and she felt like she was in such pain that it could never be met physically. Such pain that she could never escape it. She felt that she could only drown it out, vent it, release it. She had conjured the crystal blade before she had even realized it, and she had drawn it down her forearm in a slow, agonizing line. Not enough to slit the veins or arteries, but enough to break the skin, allowing a line of beautiful blood to well up and draw into beads. Blood she had only spilt from the bodies of others, now escaping her body of its own accord. She had done it, she had caused this pain. This pain she could deal with. This pain she could control, she could manipulate. The soul within her burned fiercely with pride even as the physical pain drowned out the madness that had threatened her psyche. It worked, it had actually worked. Physical pain would be the relief. She could atone for every death she had ever caused, she could atone for making a shambles out of her life, she would be absolved through her own blood and her own pain. She remembered laughing fiercely.

Sarah had ordered many long sleeved gowns after that, always in a blood red or burgundy shade. Even black sometimes. She would never wear another color.

And so she came in here, to her rooms. Naps, breaks, 'me time': it all became an excuse to alleviate it all. When she ate she could come in here and vomit it all up. Pain once again; the pain of hunger and of regurgitation, all to absolve. She could control that. When she felt like crying, the blade shut her mouth. When she felt like dying, the blade made her feel like living a little longer.

Sarah liked to swim, and she went out to the lake often. She would sink down to the bottom and will herself to take a breath, to feel the burn of her lungs as she took in water. Sarah liked to sit by the fire, and she would bring her hand close enough to turn red but not to scar.

And Sarah never slept, not if she could help it. The nightmares, my god the nightmares! She would drink cup after cup of coffee and she would pinch herself until she bled. But the night time was no time to sleep. You never knew what lurked in the dark. She had been one of things that had lurked in the dark, so she knew. And she trusted herself and her control.

She trusted no one else.

&&&

"Sarah?" Toby knocked on her door.

"Yes, Toby? Come in," Sarah said from behind the door. Toby opened the door and walked into Sarah's rooms. She had not even bothered to try to make the place feel like home. Toby had a feeling there was only one place that ever felt like home to her, and they had left it behind.

"I have received a letter from Jareth," Toby offered it to her. Sarah took it and perused it.

God, she looked like shit. Even Toby knew that word. Her dress was hanging on her. Her hair was no longer shiny, and her skin was pale. Her lips looked cracked. Her eyes were cold, calculating, and otherwise empty. Toby knew that she had not been feeling well. Even a little kid who had seen too much like him knew that she looked like hell was chasing her and she could not get away.

_To Their Graces Toby and Sarah of Llyn Coeden,_

_His Royal Majesty Jareth, the King of Goblins, will be paying a visit to your estate in one day's time. His Majesty regrets the late notification, but the trip was unduly delayed and he wishes to pay you a visit with the utmost haste._

_Alun_

"Well, Toby, will you tell the staff to prepare the house and a room for His Majesty and his retinue?" Sarah asked her only friend. Toby nodded and left the room.

_Well now, this puts a pinch in things. He has done so much for us…_

Sarah looked in the mirror, and wished she hadn't. She had bags under her bloodshot eyes. She had no color, no life. She was gone. When had that happened?

_When you decided to let the ugliness in your soul come to the surface._

Jareth deserved better. Toby deserved better. She did not know why she avoided it when it had been so obvious. She did not know why she delayed the inevitable. She had been asking for it since the day Jareth came back into her life. Death. Sweet blissful oblivion. Now that Jareth was coming here could take care of Toby. Everyone could forget she had ever existed, and she would be free of this nightmare.

To not exist would be bliss indeed.

&&&

Under the dark of night she carried out her plan. The lake was her one refuge, where she felt at peace sometimes. She went there daily, and she was always there when the sun came up. They would know where to find her, so that they could get rid of her. She hoped they would not leave her there to rot.

Sarah strapped on her knife, her katana, and her wazikashi. She wore a black dress made of velvet, with long sleeves and a drop waist. She wore her warmest black cloak over it, and she wore black riding gloves on her hands. She had washed her hair and had left it unbound for once, letting the breeze tangle it and do with it what it pleased. She was dressed for her funeral.

Sarah walked in the dark, relying on her training to show her the way in the forgiving blackness of night. And when she came to the moonlit lake, she sat down at its banks, drinking in the last night of her short life.

Sarah meditated like she had done in the days before she came here. She cleared her mind, and made peace with everything around her. By the time dawn snuck over the horizon everything was crystal clear to her.

A bird made a mating call as Sarah stood. She drew her knife and brought it to her throat.

Everything was still as she drew it across her skin.

No one saw the savior of the Underground fall. No one saw her as her blood darkened the ground around her.

But a wild-haired Fae, still over thirteen hours away, felt his heart skip a beat, and he knew something had gone terribly wrong.


	13. Still Of Night

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. There is a lot of angst in this chapter, and a lot of dream scenes. Also, NCS, and the scenes in the dream sequences may be jumbled. They are not meant to be completely sane or in chronological order. I do not own the quotes from Shakespeare. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet._

_**Chapter Twelve – Still of Night**_

_"Sarah? Sarah? Are you out here? Sarah?" he called her name as he walked through the hazy morning wood. The sun had just risen, and Sarah was nowhere to be found. Toby knew that she sometimes went walking in the mornings, out to the lake, where it was peaceful. Toby felt the leaves crunching beneath his feet, and hear the bird song in the air. He walked towards her spot, and froze. _

_"SARRRRAAAAHH!" Toby shrieked as he ran to the crumpled figure on the ground. Dressed like the dead, with a pool of blood around her. Toby turned her onto her back, and saw it then, her throat was slit, and her skin was ashen. _

_Sarah was dead._

Toby sat up in bed, soaked with sweat. Tears ran out of his eyes, and he was forced to remind himself that Sarah was not dead.

"Sarah is not dead, Sarah is not dead!" he repeated to himself, his fists clenched and his eyes shut tight. He felt rather than heard his door open, and then Jareth was there.

"Another nightmare?" he asked as he handed Toby a glass of water.

"Yes, the same one," Toby sighed as he drank.

Toby had been the one to find her that morning. She had not succeeded in completely slitting her throat. She had only managed to get one side slit before passing out. It has been the most terrifying thing he had ever seen, and not because of the blood. It has been that ashen look to her face. He had seriously thought the only person he had ever cared about was dead.

It has been a month since that day, and he was still having nightmares. Sarah was only one room over, still unconscious. That morning he had been forced to run back and grab everyone who was awake to come and help him carry Sarah back to the estate. Jareth had arrived later that day to find a healer already working on her. He had summoned even more healers, and had spared no expense in getting Sarah better.

And she was better. Her skin was healing, and she had more color. But she was still unconscious, no matter what the healers did to help.

"Are you going to try what we were talking about?" Toby asked Jareth as he got out of bed.

"Yes, I am. Aren't you going back to sleep?" Jareth asked.

"Can't sleep now. I will go sit with Sarah. Are you going in first thing in the morning?" Toby asked.

"You are still a child Toby, and children need their sleep," Jareth chided. Toby sighed.

"You know I will just lay here awake," Toby told him knowingly.

"Yes, maybe. But I'm the king, and I say you are going back to bed," Jareth tucked the boy back in and left the room. He opened the door to Sarah's bedchamber and walked in. A soft candle glowed, and Jareth sat down on the soft chair next to the bed.

He had not slept much since he arrived. Toby had been in shock, and had needed someone to take care of him, and Sarah…

"Oh, Sarah, why won't you wake up?" Jareth mumbled quietly to her still form.

She had looked so dead, like some morbid doll. He still had no idea why she had done what she had done, but he was determined to find out why, and fix it. He could not have a Duchess of his kingdom compromised like this.

'Liar. She's more than a duchess. She always has been more than that to you,' his mind told him. He did not argue. She was more than a duchess. She was a warrior, a queen, a woman, a lady; she was everything he could ever want. And yet here she was, completely untouchable.

"Why did you do this to yourself?" he asked her. Of course, she did not respond.

Toby had been ushered out of the room while the first healers had taken Sarah out of her black clothing. When Jareth had arrived, they had shown him the damage done to her body. She was skeletal, evidence of the fact that she had not been eating. Her body was covered in scars; small white lines all over her body, where she had obviously been cutting herself. Her skin had no color, and her lips were the same. Her hair did not shine, and was dry and breaking. The healers told Jareth that this was all evidence that Sarah had been slowly killing herself over a period of time. She had done it all to herself. Jareth prided himself on being strong, but even he had to leave the room and collect himself after hearing that news. Ever since, he had slept every night in the very chair he sat in now, hoping she would wake.

Jareth had told Toby that he could exercise his unique ability to get into people's dreams on Sarah. He hoped to find out the source of her problems, and maybe talk her subconscious into doing something, anything. Right now he was desperate for Sarah to wake up. He had told Toby that he would do it in the morning, but he preferred to do it now; in the still of night, where no one would bother him.

Jareth conjured a crystal and placed it in Sarah's hand. He leaned back and got comfortable. He did not need to be asleep to do this, but he closed his eyes anyway. He felt himself sink, and then he placed himself in Sarah's world, where things would be a puzzle to him. He only hoped he could put the puzzle together before it was too late.

_The calliope music played through the air. It was summer, and the air was humid. The wail of a baby could be heard. Jareth saw an infant swaddled in a fleece blanket, lying on the ground. A man clothed in black ran towards the child and unwrapped the blanket. He lifted the baby's nightgown and then nodded. Satisfied, he swaddled the infant once again and picked it up. Looking to see if anyone was around, he ran into the night once again._

_- shift – _

_"Foundling Sarah! Duck this time, do not just stand there like a stupid fucking idiot! You are a warrior, and assassin, a weapon! You will duck, or it will be the strap for you once again!"_

_Jareth saw a little Sarah, hardly older than Toby, with a wooden sword in hand. An older Foundling swung at her, and she blocked instead of ducking. She screamed as she was backhanded, and then drug by her hair out of the room._

_"Nonononononononononono!" she screamed._

_- shift – _

_"Spread your legs for me Sarah, there you go. Now, this will hurt, but you have got to get used to that. Stop crying! Stop it! Keep your legs open!"_

_"No, please! Founder, no! Please, noooooooooooooo!"_

_"You will grow to like it Sarah. You will grow to like having men fuck you and use you. That is what women are best at, splitting their legs for men like me"_

_Jareth threw a punch that went right through the man raping Sarah, and he could do was shield his eyes as her eyes began to glaze over with a mix of desperation, fear, and grief. _

_- shift – _

_"Foundling Sarah, you will now be going under. This is your test. Nothing in the place you are going to is real, except for the man who rules the place where you are going. You are in no real danger. You will not be Foundling Sarah when you go in. You will be Sarah Williams. You will not remember being a Foundling or anything of this world"_

_"I am ready," Sarah said, as she laid down on a slightly padded table._

_- shift – _

_"I wish the goblins would take you away. Right now"_

_- shift – _

_"I've brought you a gift"_

_"What is it?" _

_"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams. But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl who takes care of a screaming baby"_

_- shift – _

_"I'll paint you mornings of gold; I'll spin you valentine evenings. Though we're strangers till now we're choosing the path between the stars. I'll leave my love between the stars"_

_- shift – _

_"Give me the child. Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great. You have no power over me"_

_- shift – _

_"Noooooooo! No! Nononono!"_

_"'Congratulations, Sarah, you passed the test. You are ready to begin your training to be a Found"_

_"That was the test? Hoggle? Sir Didymus? Ludo?"_

_"They were all real, as was the precious Goblin King" _

_"I can never see them again?" Sarah's face looked beyond sad, almost heartbroken._

_"I do not think you will ever see them again. You are now Sarah, Found. Your training will begin immediately. In one hour's time you will report to Founder Gabriel to start your instruction in advanced archery. Good luck Sarah, you certainly never disappoint," the man who had been there when she had woken up left the room._

_"He was real. They were real. It was real!" Jareth watched as Saran buried her face in her hands and wept._

_- shift – _

_Jareth saw Sarah as she had been when he had seen her again. Calm, cool, collected: a warrior, and a woman to be reckoned with. She sat there in her red leather and fondled the file in front of her, "Does His Majesty know?"_

_"Know what, Found?"_

_"Does he know who I am? Does he know it was a test?" Sarah's voice was tight with tension._

_"Found, he knows nothing of it. He still believes you to be Sarah Williams, mortal girl personified, the only one to ever beat his Labyrinth. It was a task to deceive him, for he is very powerful. But he has no clue that you were a Foundling"_

_"'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive'. Is there no one else?"_

_"Found, even if there were someone else, you were the one chosen for this task. We all have out crosses to bear"_

_Jareth watched as she left the room, the heels of her boots clicking, and her braid brushing her ass seductively._

_- shift – _

_"I think we had best get a move on Jareth. I want to make it to the lake before sunset. I desperately need to bathe. If it is any consolation Jareth, I cared too"_

_- shift – _

_Sarah stood in front of him, naked._

_"What? Why are you staring at me? Why, Your Majesty, do you wish to inspect me closer?"_

_"If you have seen one female body, you have seen them all. You do not have anything I have not seen before, Sarah"_

_Jareth watched the him that lived in the memory admire Sarah as she swam in the lake._

_- shift – _

_"Sarah, when did you lose your virginity?" _

_"Right after my test. I was fifteen when Founder Corsair brought me to the ritual room and deflowered me in front of the other Founders"_

_- shift – _

_Jareth watched as Sarah conjured a crystal sphere out of the air. She smashed it against the side of the bathtub, and grabbed a sharp shard of it._

_"'_ _O comfortable friar! where is my lord? I do remember well where I should be, and there I am. Where is my Romeo? Yea, noise? Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die'"_

_Jareth watched as Sarah drew the shard across her skin, and watched the blood swell up into beads._

_- shift – _

_"Toby, will you excuse me for a moment?" Sarah put down her napkin and got out of her chair. She walked down the hall, and into a bathroom. Jareth watched as she threw up everything she had ingested. She patted her face with a wet washcloth and stared at herself in the mirror._

_"Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the most worthy of them all?" Sarah looked like she would punch the mirror, but she stilled her fist and started to cry instead, "Worthy of nothing. Forgive me for throwing a pity party, but I get the distinct feeling that no one wants me or needs me. Not even the man who was once in love with me wants me. Of course, how could he? A king has to marry someone who is pure and all these wonderful things I can never be. I never have been pure. I sure as hell have no noble blood! Ah, what the hell am I talking about?"_

_Sarah left the bathroom looking as if she could drop dead at any moment._

_Jareth knew he would have to escape this endless loop of memories if he ever hoped to reach Sarah, wherever she was in this abyss. He concentrated further, seeking a way out, as the scene shifted again. He did not pay attention to it, however. An invisible door appeared to him, and he walked through it, and into a single dark room._

_Or what was more properly known as an oubliette: the place of forgetting. Jareth looked around in the darkness and saw no light. He conjured a sphere that would radiate light, and looked around once more._

_"Sarah?" he asked the crumpled figure in the corner. She was dressed in the white gown she had been wearing in the park, but it was now stained with blood and dirt. Jareth walked to her, and touched her on the shoulder._

_"Please, don't touch me," her small voice came to him. This was not the warrior in her. This was the lady in her, the girl who had been led so astray._

_"Sarah? What are you doing here? There are people waiting for you to wake up. Come with me, above all this, and wake up," Jareth urged._

_"Do you know what an oubliette is, Jareth?" Sarah asked sadly._

_"A place of forgetting. And as soon as we come out of this I am doing away with all of them," Jareth said emphatically._

_"Exactly, a place of forgetting. I want all of you to forget. I never wanted you to know, Jareth. You meant more to that fifteen year old than you will ever know. You were dark, dangerous, and yet you showed her what it meant to live. She never forgot you. She hoped you had forgotten her. Sometimes, late at night, she would lie in bed thinking of you. Of your hair, and your eyes, and she would weep. She always had a might-have-been. Her might-have-been was you. She wants you to go, and let her pass. One day she will pass. She meant to die" Sarah said._

_"I will not. I refuse to let her go. I never forgot her, even if I wished I could. When she came back into my life, I was appalled by what her life had been made out to be. It was a mockery. They had made a mockery out of her life. They needed to pay for what they did, and they never did. They took something from her, and she can never get that back. Where is she? At least give me the opportunity to speak with her, to try and convince her," Jareth pleaded._

_"She will not like it," Sarah said doubtfully._

_"She does not have to. Will you go with me when we come back?" Jareth asked._

_"If I must. But I warn you, you may lose your mind in there," Sarah said with a serious glare._

_"Sarah, it is her mind to have. I lost everything else to her long ago. Please show me?"_

_"Through there," Sarah pointed at an archway that had not been there before. Mist shrouded the entrance, and Jareth took the steps forward._

_May the Lord and Lady forgive him if he never returned._


	14. The Misty Place

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet._

_**Chapter Thirteen – The Misty Place**_

_Jareth walked through the mist-shrouded archway, leaving the lady version of Sarah behind. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He could hear the footfalls he made on the unseen floor. Everything was black as night, and it was still so quiet._

_He did not know how long he had been walking when he came to a round chamber, with no exits except the one he had just came from. The walls were covered with silvery webs, and the floor was still covered with mist._

_"Go back, Goblin King. I will not warn you again," Sarah's strong voice came through the dark to him. No, wait. Her voice was not strong. It was bravado. Underneath there was a current of fear, and a touch of panic. She did not think he would come for her._

_"I am not going back. If I die here, so be it, but I will not leave you behind. Come with me, Sarah. Toby is waiting for you, and I am waiting for you. We want you with us. You have been gone for a month, and I think it is time you came back and let us help you. Please, won't you come?" Jareth did not wheedle. He made his wishes known in as civil a tone as he could manage. _

_"The oubliette is a place of forgetting. But this, this is a place where people can hide. Some call it the Core. Some call it the Self. Do you wish to know what I call it?" _

_"You would call it Heaven," Jareth assumed._

_"No, it is my Hell. Alone, forever and ever; but what you don't know is that I wish to be here. I want to be here," Sarah's voice still came from everywhere._

_"I guess I was wrong about you," Jareth sighed, seeing a hole that he could use to his advantage._

_"Were you?" Sarah's voice was amused, "The Goblin King was actually wrong about something?"_

_"I figured you for a warrior. I figured you for a Queen. Such a woman would not have taken the easy way out though. Such a woman would have stayed and fought for a place in this world. A Queen would have fought for me, instead of letting me go. A warrior would never let herself be beaten down just because she all of a sudden does not feel needed!" Jareth snapped. The mist swirled, and then Sarah was there. She was back in the red leather, with a crop in her hand. Her expression was thunderous, and she looked much like the fierce warrior beauty of only a couple of months ago._

_"Do you think this was EASY for me?" she asked, incredulous._

_"Yes, I do. It was easier for you to run and hide from all who love you than to stay and deal with us. You hate yourself Sarah, and you thought that it would be easier if everyone else did too!" Jareth stepped towards Sarah, and she whipped her crop at him in warning._

_"The only person who loved me was Toby. You made it quite clear that you were disgusted by me," Sarah looked disdainful, as if something smelled foul to her._

_"You knew I cared, you lying bitch. You just convinced yourself that the way you thought things were was the only way they could be. Are you a woman, or are you a scared little girl?" Jareth sneered._

_"I am a woman. I am more woman than you could ever handle!" Sarah strode over to him and pulled on the front of his jacket. He let her. She pulled him up tight, and he let her. She mashed her lips to his, and he let her. But then, he took control. He did not let her make this sweet kiss into something raw and painful. He backed off, just a little, and kissed her lips softly. He did not open his mouth, and he did not let her clamp down on his lower lip like she obviously wanted to. He kept it soft, simple, and chaste. And most of all, he kept it sweet and understanding. Sarah threw him away from her and lifted a hand to her lips. She stared at him, shocked._

_"What, the Goblin King can't properly kiss a woman?" Sarah tried to look bemused, but only came off as being rattled._

_"I can kiss you in ways that will make you beg for more, Sarah, but not like this. I love you. I want to make love to you. I think you are rare, that you are precious, and I will make you mine. But not like this, and not here. When I claim you, it will be like I am holding the universe's greatest treasure in my arms, because that is what I feel for you," Jareth took a deep breath to still his heart._

_"You bastard! How can you say that to me now? Do you KNOW what I did for you? For this world? I let men fucking rape me! I let them beat me, and use me! I told myself I would never let another man do that to me, but I did it for the Underground. I did it for Toby! I did it for you! For you! And now you want me to sacrifice even more by trying to live life in a body I hate? You want me to hurt, don't you? You want me to have to look at the body of a whore in the mirror and always wonder why no one wants to be with me. You want me to suffer! Why?" Sarah's visage kept switching from her red leather outfit to the long black dress she had been found in._

_"I do not want you to suffer, I want you to understand! We love you, body and all. We love you, no matter what. We love you, and we want to show you how much we appreciate you. I want a chance to appreciate you, to love you," Jareth's voice was getting thick with emotion, and he backed off, trying to control himself. It would not do to break down now, when he was so close to achieving his goal._

_"You could have told me all this while I was in your castle, when I was so obviously suffering from melancholia. Instead, you just sat there and talked, and dined with me. You never even made an effort to try to help me. You never tried to reach out to me. You never tried to even court me. What was I supposed to think?" Sarah drew a sword out of mid-air and held it in a battle position, "I think that maybe, if you died here, I could die and remain in Hell forever. I could rot, as is befitting trash!"_

_This was what Jareth was waiting for, for her to charge at him. If he could get her to weaken, then he could carry her out of this place, and back into the waking realm. He quickly conjured his own sword out of thin air and met her charge, parrying her blow. He passed her and lunged. His sword was met by her parry, and Jareth realized that he was using fencing moves on a girl with an Asian sword. He quickly changed swords, opting to handle his own katana. He used both hands to swing the sword, engaging Sarah's above her head in an overhead blow._

_"Sarah, I am Fae. I rarely get exhausted from exertion. If you would just come back with me," Jareth defended himself against a horizontal slice, "we could avoid any embarrassment on your part"_

_"Fuck off, Your Majesty," Sarah growled, as she tried a jumping slice._

_"Ah, but you must call me Jareth, since I am going to marry you," Jareth delivered a crouching blow, but Sarah jumped over it._

_"I am not marrying anyone. I do not remember the Goblin King ever expressing interest in marrying anyone except the fifteen year old Sarah who resides in the other room," Sarah sneered. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, and she was panting. Jareth was still fresh as a daisy, however, even if he was a bit tired from being in the misty place so long._

_He swung a series of blows. Slice, slice, jump, block, slice, overhead blow, crouching swing, and then he watched as Sarah fell. She collapsed to the ground, panting and slightly whimpering. Jareth pointed his sword at Sarah's neck._

_"Do you yield?" he asked._

_"Do I have a choice?" she knew she was beat. Jareth picked her up and carried her out to where the other Sarah was waiting. Other Sarah looked up at him, "It is done then? I will come with you"_

_Jareth held them both around the waist and concentrated on rising out of here. He passed the memories, and slowly came to full consciousness in Sarah's room. _Toby and the other members of the household stood in front on him, concern on their faces.

"How long was I under?" Jareth asked.

"It is noon," Toby informed him.

"A long time then," Jareth looked at Sarah, "She should be waking up soon. Will someone pack Sarah's bags for a few weeks?"

"Why?" Toby asked.

"I am taking her away. We are going alone to my little palace by the sea," Jareth told them as he rose from his place.

"Your Majesty, we must protest. Her Grace is not well, and she is also a single female of marriageable age. It would not look good for either of you to be resided alone together without benefit of marriage," one of the healers protested.

"She will be better, and she does not need any more healers. And as for being alone, you will keep your mouths shut! She needs to be alone, without anyone or anything to worry about. Not even you, Toby. You will be going back to the castle to stay with Alis and Alun. We will leave immediately," Jareth told them with regal air. They all scattered, except for Toby.

"Did you see?" Toby asked.

"I saw it all. You were both forced to grow up way too quickly. I am only sorry that I was not in any position to stop it. I am not going to hurt her. I am taking her to heal. I know now that I am the only one who can heal her," Jareth brushed a stray lock of hair away from Sarah's face.

"All right. How long will you be gone?" Toby asked.

"As long as it takes," Jareth strode out of the room to change his own clothing, and to gather himself into some semblance of order. He was a King after all. Appearances must be maintained.

&&&

Jareth laid the still unconscious Sarah on the large bed inside her room at the Castle at the Sea. This is where Jareth had been born, inside this peaceful castle. It was a vacation home of sorts, but one that he loved. He loved it far more than the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. This place was decorated in soft stones and colors, instead of the harsh beiges and browns of the main castle. This place was gray and blue, as if it were part of the ocean. Sarah's bed was made of pine, with white fabrics covering the bed. The drapes at the windows were white, and the floor was gray shale. The room was warm, and filled with sunlight. Jareth would not let Sarah live anywhere dark anymore. She needed sunlight. He had purged her wardrobe of anything dark, leaving only light fabrics.

The sea breeze came in through the window, and it ruffled Jareth's hair. Jareth laid a hand on Sarah's forehead.

"Wake now, Sarah. Come out of there," he said, bringing her out of the slumber he had forced her to stay in ever since he had brought her out of the misty place. It has been necessary to transport her.

Jareth watched as those gray eyes fluttered open, unfocused and blurry.

"Jareth?" her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

"I'm here," he told her, taking her hand in his.

"I remember such strange things….I cannot think very well. I thought I died, but then I saw you, and you helped me…. Was I dreaming? Where are we?" Sarah tried to sit up, but she moaned and fell back against the pillows.

"So many questions love. You tried to kill yourself. Toby found you," Jareth ignored Sarah's sob, "I came to you where you were stuck in your subconscious and rescued you. You begged me to leave you there to go to Hell, but I wouldn't," Jareth told her.

"Why?" Sarah asked.

"As I told you down in the misty place, I love you. I always have. I love the warrior Sarah, the woman Sarah, and the Queen that you always have been. I am only sorry that I could not share that with you sooner. I had hoped to court you from afar, and do things right. But you, silly girl, had to try to kill yourself. Now we are at my sea palace alone, and we will stay here until you have recovered from your melancholia and your self-mutilation," Jareth assured her.

"Oh, you saw that?" Sarah asked with a faint chuckle.

"It was painful to see. Such a beautiful woman, thinking she had to mar such perfect flesh," Jareth chided her.

"Who am I now?" Sarah asked after a moment.

"A warrior and a Queen," Jareth told her.

"There is no need for a warrior like me in this world," Sarah sighed.

"There is always a place for someone who wishes to fight. There are other battles, Sarah. It may be a different type of battlefield, but it is a fight just the same. And now, you have a whole new battle to devote yourself to"

"What's that?" Sarah asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Our great task now is to rid you of your bulimia and cutting behaviors. You must get well. How am I supposed to make you my Queen if you are throwing up royal dinners and wearing out-of-fashion gowns?" Jareth joked.

"How do you know I even want to marry you?" Sarah asked.

"You do. One day you will let me know," Jareth sounded sure of himself, "Do you wish to have dinner?"

&&&

Jareth had another bed pulled into Sarah's room. He slept across the room from her every night. He used some of his power to limit Sarah's weaker power, and purged the castle of anything sharp except for in the kitchens. Sarah had seemed to agree at the outset. But after the second or so week of her rehab, Sarah started to get foul-mouthed and disagreeable.

"Leave me the fuck alone, Jareth!" Sarah shrieked.

"No," Jareth folded him arms and just stared at her. The past two weeks, she had been in denial, not even wanting to accept that she had been cutting herself or throwing up her food. Finally, a couple of days ago she had admitted to her behaviors. But now she was going through the portion of her recovery where she would be incredibly angry at anyone and anything.

"You impotent asshole! Stop limiting my powers! You're just jealous!" Sarah yelled.

"No, I'm not. And no, I will not stop limiting your powers. And Sarah, I am far from impotent," Jareth smirked and stayed where he was.


	15. But Now I'm Found

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. There is an almost lemon in this chapter, so be warned. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet._

_**Chapter Fourteen – But Now I'm Found**_

It was only a few days later that Sarah had passed the angry stage. Sarah was not the type of person to stay angry for long. It was a waste of time and energy. Instead, she started to try to bargain, to gain favor. And this was a very hard time for the Goblin King.

"Jareth? I'm better now. Could I please have my magic back?" Sarah asked in a soothing tone of voice. She was dressed in a light green dress, and her feet were bare. Her hair was loose and brushed until it shone.

"No Sarah. I know what you are trying to do and it will not work. Deep down, you know it won't," Jareth continued to read the novel he had picked up from the castle's library and pointedly ignored Sarah. She had been trying these little tricks all day. She was trying to use her feminine wiles on him, thinking he would be weak enough to cede the battlefield. He may love the girl, but he was not some weak-minded fool!

"Don't you understand? I promise I am better. If you give me my powers back we can go back home, and we can get married. Please, Jareth, for me?" Sarah kneeled at his feet and worked the muscles in his thighs with her slim fingers. She looked up at him through her impossibly long lashes, and put her lower lip out in a distinctive pout.

"I do not want to marry someone who is not all the way better. I will marry you when you are well, and not before!" Jareth snapped. Sarah stood up abruptly and stormed out of the room.

Jareth sighed. He should not have lost his temper with her, but these late nights and early mornings were beginning to wear on him. She required constant care still, and he was finding it hard. But they needed to do this alone. He needed her fully concentrated on the task at hand. Just yesterday he had been forced to hold her hair back as she regurgitated her supper once again. The spewing had gone down, but was not gone completely. It was progress though, and Jareth would take that however he could get it. He could hear her sobbing and begging from her room down the hall, but he knew that the outburst was a part of what she needed. Her cutting and puking were ways for her to control that which felt out of control. The crying was something she needed to experience. She needed to know that there was always a worse emotional pain to bear. Everybody hurts, and Sarah needed to know that she was human. It was okay to cry, even if you cried until you passed out from the emotional drain it placed on you.

&&&

Sarah had been refusing to leave her room for almost a week now. She was dirty, and she was now not eating instead of throwing it up. She just laid there on her bed, in the fetal position. She was completely silent.

Jareth opened the door and found her the same way she had been for quite some time. He was sick of it. He walked over to the bed and lifted her off of it.

"What are you doing? Leave me alone!" Sarah cried. He was touching her! Why would he want to touch her? She was dirty, miserable and only a cheap whore who could not keep her legs closed!

Jareth threw her over his shoulder and carried her out of her room. He did not say a word as they walked out of the castle and down to the beach. He waved his arm and a crystal platform stretched out from shore to about thirty feet in. It was more like a crystal pier. Jareth vanished the majority of Sarah's clothes and walked out onto the pier. Sarah was thrashing about and pounding her fists on his back. Jareth stopped at the end and unceremoniously threw Sarah into the water. She came up spluttering.

"What the fuck was that for?" Sarah asked, treading water.

"You stink, and you refuse to bathe. You have not left that bed in some time. You will swim to shore, and then you will come inside and have a hot bath. And then, you will have a warm meal. And then, you will spend some time with me, and stop being some kind of catatonic parasite!" Jareth snapped as he walked back to shore. The pier disappeared, leaving an incredulous Sarah to swim back to shore.

Jareth wrapped a towel around her when she did reach the beach, and took her chattering body back inside. He ran the bath while she sat on a stool, and then he unwrapped the towel from her body. With dispassionate fingers he began to disrobe her, only to have her slap his hand away.

"Let me do it. Turn around," Sarah growled.

"I thought you did not care about your modesty?" Jareth asked.

"I don't want your royal hands getting dirty on my skin. Wouldn't want to sully your clothing, now would we?" Sarah sneered. She climbed into the tub and leaned back.

Jareth stood and started to remove his clothing.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked, her voice sounding weak.

"I am going to bathe you," Jareth explained simply.

"The hell you are!" Sarah sounded indignant and started to get out of the tub. Jareth vanished the rest of his clothes with one gesture, and then climbed quickly into the tub before Sarah could get out. He pulled her to him and settled her between his legs.

"Believe me Sarah, this is not about sex. You need someone in here with you to work the tangles out of your hair and you are too weak to really bathe yourself. I am going to do that for you," Jareth said simply. He reached for a pitcher at the side of the tub and filled it with the warm water. He poured it over Sarah's hair, and watched the wet hair pool around the waterline like a mermaid's would. He poured water over her hair again, and then reached for Sarah's shampoo. Opening the cap, he found that it smelled like fresh air, clean and refreshing. He poured some into his hand and then began to lather Sarah's hair.

Sarah closed her eyes against her own volition, and surrendered herself to the pleasure Jareth was creating with his fingers. Those long fingers were stimulating her scalp, and a small sigh escaped her.

Jareth worked the suds throughout her hair, and marveled at how it changed to silk before his eyes. He grabbed the pitcher and rinsed her hair. There was enough water for excellent dispersion of soap, and he rinsed her hair until it was devoid of the shampoo. He reached for the other bottle he knew to be conditioner and squeezed a generous amount into his hand. He began to scalp massage anew, and hoped that the lovely feeling of Sarah's hair would not translate into a pleased feeling below the waist.

"Why are you doing this? I don't deserve this," Sarah murmured, too relaxed to care that her naked bottom was pressed into Jareth's equally naked groin.

"You do, don't you see that? You saved us. You saved us all! Without you, I would not have a home, or a crown anymore. We are the ones who do not deserve you, Sarah. We were so caught up in everything else that we did not even see that you were hurting. Especially me. I should have known. It was my responsibility to look after you, and instead I sent you away," Jareth really was sorry, and it was hard for him to admit it.

"Yeah, you sent me away. Quickly, too. Needed to get me away, huh? The slut assassin who you agreed to take care of to save your own ass. I was born nothing, and I will die nothing. There is nothing you can do about it Jareth. You can dress me up in expensive clothes and drape me in jewels. You can call me Duchess and set me up in a fancy estate, but that does not change anything. I was an abandoned child left to the wolves in Bangor, Maine. Anyone who ever touched me only wanted to use me. You said that what they did was wrong, and you were right. But, it is too late Jareth. Too damned late," Sarah sounded like she was going to cry, but Jareth knew she would not. She was trying to hold it in.

"No it's not," Jareth told her softly. He turned Sarah to face him, and then he kissed her. Not a soft kiss, but not a hard one either. This kiss was passionate, and needy. It was hungry. Sarah placed her hands on Jareth's bare shoulders to hold her balance, and allowed him to kiss her.

Sarah had never felt a kiss like this. It held the promise of more, but did not demand it. Jareth was holding her head in place, not allowing her to escape; but then again, she did not know if she wanted to escape. What did she want? She was confused. Jareth tugged at her lower lip with his teeth, asking her silent permission to enter her mouth. Sarah opened her mouth and let him in. He caressed her tongue with his own, like wet velvet in her mouth.  
She heard herself let out a little moan, and almost back away in embarrassment. He was drinking from her like she was a fine wine, and it was all so good!

Jareth finally allowed them to part when it was clear that they both needed air. Sarah was panting, her swollen and red lips parted slightly. Jareth was quite aware that his groin had gone rapidly from flaccid to erect. He turned Sarah around again, and settled her back between his legs. He heard Sarah gasp when she encountered his erection, but he held her there.

"I am not going to have sex with you tonight, Sarah. But I am going to ask you one thing: have you ever enjoyed the pleasure a man or woman can bring you without having actual intercourse?" Jareth rubbed Sarah's shoulders, willing her to be relaxed.

"N-no," she admitted.

"Never? Never felt someone just service you?" Jareth's fingers worked their way down to one of Sarah's hardened nipples. So she was aroused! He pinched one nipple lightly between his thumb and forefinger, and rolled it between the two digits. Sarah moaned and arched into him instinctively.

"You have never had anyone make you feel cherished? Never had anyone make you climax just for the pleasure of it?" Jareth whispered these things softly as his fingers continued their trek down Sarah's body. He wrapped his left arm around her waist to hold her in place, and used his right hand to slide between her legs

"Open your legs for me, Sarah. Let me touch you. I will not hurt you," Jareth was firm but considerate. Sarah parted her legs, and Jareth slid his bath water slicked fingers down to where Sarah was the hottest, down to the entrance to her womb. He used his forefinger to stroke her once, tenderly, from the bottom of her slit to her clitoris; which was already showing signs of swelling.

"Ahhhhh," Sarah moaned, and her hands came down to grip Jareth's bare thighs.

Jareth stroked her like this, memorizing the feel of her lips and swelling pearl. He took his middle finger and sunk it into her tunnel. Sarah bucked, but did not stop him. He started to move the finger in and out, loving the little whimpers and mewling sounds Sarah was making in his arms.

"Sarah, you are so beautiful; beautiful like this, beautiful at any time. You mean so much to me, do you know that? I want you to come on my hand. I want to make love to you when you are ready. I want to marry you and have children with you, and love you until it is time for us to pass on. I do not want to see you like this. I want you to thrive, to grow, to blossom. I want you to be the Queen I always knew you could be," Jareth used his thumb to rub circles on Sarah's clitoris, knowing that to be the key to her climax, "Sarah, I want you to fly, and be free of all this. Come for me, Sarah. I want you to come for me"

"God! Yes!" Sarah yelled, and Jareth felt her passage tighten around his fingers. Warm fluid coated his fingers slightly before it was washed away by the water. Her passage flexed, and Jareth gently withdrew his fingers to allow Sarah her aftershocks. He kissed her temple, and the top of her head. He gradually felt her go slack in his arms, a sign that she was near sleep.

"See? See how good it can be? Our lives can be just as good Sarah. You can tell me everything. I will still be there after you are done. You do not have to do this alone. But you need to let me in," Jareth said as he let the water out of the tub. He got out and used magic to dry himself. He lifted Sarah out of the tub and wrapped her in a large and fluffy towel. He carried her down into her bedroom and laid her down on her bed.

"You can dry me now, right? Before I start to freeze?" Sarah asked a little sleepily. Jareth let out a little chuckle and did as she asked. He grabbed some underclothes and a nightgown from the bureau and dressed Sarah. Her eyes were closed, and he assumed she had fallen asleep. He blew out the candles and walked to the door quietly.

Her voice was so quiet, so soft, that he wasn't sure he had heard it at first.

"Don't go," Sarah whispered. Jareth turned around and saw her eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"What?" he asked, trying to confirm what she had said.

"Stay with me," she said, a little louder this time.

Jareth stood there for what seemed like forever, torn between staying and going. Get under the covers and spend the night holding the woman he loved, or going and sleeping alone in a cold bed?

Sarah did not say a thing when the covers lifted and Jareth slid in next to her. She just turned over and laid her head on his chest. She was asleep before he could even count to ten. Soon, Jareth gave in to the lullaby of Sarah's even breath, falling down into a deep sleep.


	16. The Castle By The Sea

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. Beta-ed by AngelaScarlet._

_**Chapter Fifteen – The Castle by the Sea**_

Sarah awoke to the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks near the castle. And, with a slight smile that felt oddly out of place on her face, she realized that was not the only sound that she heard. She looked slightly up and saw that Jareth was still sleeping soundly. His wild hair looked even wilder in the morning light, and she noted with some amusement that their legs were still tangled together.

Sarah moved quietly and softly to extract herself from Jareth's embrace. She took off her nightgown and pulled on a simple pink gown that stuck close to her body. It was some lightweight material that Sarah had never inquired about, but it flowed nicely. It was the lightest color she had dared to wear since she had come Underground.

The castle was quiet as she walked down the stairs and out the kitchen door. There was a pathway that led down to the beach not far from this entrance, and Sarah walked down it until she reached the warm sand.

"It must already be mid-day," Sarah said to herself as she squinted at the sun. She walked until she got close enough to let the waves lap at her ankles. The cool water felt good. It felt cleansing. She actually thought it felt a bit better than it did yesterday, when Jareth had thrown her in.

Sarah found a patch of smooth sand that pleased her and she sat down on it. Her legs were folded to the side, and her hair was being blown about gently by the ocean breeze. She trailed her fingers in the sand, drawing nonsense figures that she would erase and re-draw. She had a lot to think about, and she was in the only place she felt she could do that without everything else overwhelming her; without him there to speak to her and to urge her to try.

So what if he had been right? She should have known it would have come to what it came to. Looking back, she could not even begin to remember where everything had gone so wrong. It seemed like a nightmare now, where she lost everything she had been and became some terrible wraith-like version of Sarah. She had been trained in psychology to some degree; she should have been prepared for the fall-out of the raping and the subsequent trauma. She knew all about post-traumatic stress, and she should have been prepared for that eventuality.

"You know what they say, Sarah. A shrink always needs a shrink," she said out loud. And it was true. She had just been too close to see, and she did not let anyone else close enough to see it for her. Not even Toby.

The thought of her surrogate brother made tears come up just behind her eyes, threatening to spill over. She had so much apologizing to do, and not just to Toby. She had not even thought of his well-being when she had decided that he would be the one to find her after she had tried to kill herself. Jareth had told her that Toby had still been experiencing nightmares of not finding her in time when he had spirited her away to this place. She had a lot of making up to do, and she could only hope that Toby would forgive her.

But Jareth was the one she had to apologize to the most. For months he tried to get close to her while she stayed at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. He ate with her, tried to converse with her, include her; but she had not been receptive to that. And so, he had sent her away, fearing that she wanted nothing to do with him. And then, he had taken time away from his kingdom to bring her here, to look after her himself. She truly did not deserve him.

Sarah shook her head. No. She could not let herself get lost in those thoughts again. Last night had opened her eyes to a lot of things, one of them being the fact that she really did have a problem. She knew there were five stages to grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. She supposed she had finally gotten to the last stage. Like someone who had lost a loved one, she had lost a part of herself when she had come through that portal for good. Now, she could accept that that part of her life was over. Sarah the assassin, Sarah the courtesan, Sarah the spy; she was not a creature for this world. She still existed, she always would, but now Sarah could accept that there were other things she was needed for, and there were other people who needed her.

Sarah did not believe in regrets. Anything that happens to you while you are alive brings you to where you are in that moment. And right now, she pretty much thought that things would eventually be completely okay.

"Everything will be okay," Sarah said with that small smile.

&&&

Jareth awoke and knew she was gone. Her soft hair was not on his chest, and her warmth was gone. He felt her pillow and realized it was cold. That meant she had been gone for some time now. He sat up in alarm and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He twisted his wrist and a sphere appeared.

"Show me Sarah!" he barked, not sure what the sphere would show him. He breathed in relief when he saw her slight figure lounging on the beach outside. He willed himself into gray breeches and a loose white shirt, and pulled on the black boots that appeared from nowhere. He walked the same path that he figured she had traveled, and saw her sitting just as the crystal had shown him. He walked to her and stood behind her, waiting for her to speak.

"You can sit, you know," Sarah said softly as her fingers traced circles in the sand. Jareth did as she said, sitting with his long legs stretched out in front of him. He crossed his ankles and leaned back on his hands. Sarah gave him a shy smile that nearly stopped his heart.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Jareth thought he knew why, but he knew she needed to say it. It was just another step. She needed to apologize for all that had gone wrong. It was cathartic.

"I never tried. I never even tried to live in your world. I came here expecting it to be easy. When it wasn't, I tried to escape as best as I could. I ultimately ended up hurting you and everyone else I care about. And I hurt you the most. You could have chosen to make my life here a living hell. You went out of your way to make things nice and easy for me, and I never even noticed. And now, you have brought me here, and you have done everything for me without any kind of expectations. I won't even act like I do not know that you want me to marry you; you have said it often enough. But you have not pressed the issue. So thanks, and I'm sorry for all the pain I have caused you," Sarah fingered the edge of her dress and looked sidelong at Jareth.

"Are you – Do you think you are going to be okay?" Jareth asked.

"Eventually, yes. I think so at least. But I do not think I am anyone to be trusted yet, and I do not think I can face anyone yet. How much longer do you think we can stay here?" Sarah asked, knowing Jareth had to be worried about his kingdom.

"Sarah, if it means you getting better, then we will stay here as long as you need," Jareth slipped an arm around Sarah's should and pulled her close to him.

&&&

Sarah and Jareth spent the next couple of weeks proceeding with the shorthand version of falling in love. They went for walks, played games, had long talks, and slept in the same bed. Sarah did not like sleeping alone anymore. The nightmares seemed to stay away when he was with her, and that suited her just fine. He offered to give her magic back, and she told him no. She did not think she would last very long right now. She was not sure that if things even started to go slightly south, that she may just start her cutting again. She did not want to be that low again.

"Why can't you just take it away permanently?" Sarah asked as they laid in bed one morning.

"Sarah, your magic is just as much a part of you as your skin or your eyes. You cannot get rid of it. And I hate to say it, but you are going to have to learn to live with it, I cannot block you forever," Jareth told her as he stroked her hair.

"What if I can't?" Sarah asked, sounding like a small child.

"I tend to believe that you can do anything if you put your mind to it, Sarah," Jareth smiled a wry smile and stroked the soft skin on her arm.

"You know, you are so much different now than you were then," Sarah told him.

"Back then I was working under different assumptions and different feelings. I didn't know losing you the first time was going to hurt so bad. The second time, when you were my responsibility, I thought I was going to die too. There is a clarity that comes with almost losing someone you love. It humbled me, I guess you could say," Jareth turned onto his side and looked at Sarah.

"The Goblin King, humbled? Where's the 'obey me, love me, and I'll be your slave' speech?" Sarah teased Jareth.

"I'll still be your slave," Jareth murmured.

Sarah only laughed and hit him on the arm.

&&&

It was a month and a half after that night that Sarah finally decided that she wanted more than the gentle kisses and caresses she had been receiving from Jareth. Only a small part of her protested, and that was the part that still remembered the pain of being raped. He had been right; it could be good between them. She knew it would be good.

And she was never one to think about marrying someone before she found out the sex would be good, right?

Sarah thought about it all through dinner, which she ate little of. She still could not eat too much, it made her stomach turn; but she could eat now without needing to throw it up. She knew it was like alcoholism: she would never be cured. She would always be a recovering bulimic. But tonight, it was more nerves than anything else. One time, she had offered herself to this same man, and he had turned her down flat. This time, she hoped that being a different person would tip the scales in her favor.

Sarah came out of the bath and combed her hair. She left it loose and pulled on a white silk nightgown that Jareth had packed for her. She did not even know she owned it.

"Jareth? Can you come here please?" Sarah asked from in front of the bathroom mirror. He was there in only a second, he always was. She turned to him and asked him nicely to dry her hair for her, because she did not want to get her pillow all wet.

"The only pillow you have been using lately is me," Jareth joked, but he did as she asked.

"I don't see you complaining," Sarah smiled at him in the mirror. Her smiles had gained confidence in the last couple of weeks, and Jareth liked that.

Jareth walked back to the bed in his black sleeping pants. He tried not to think of Sarah in that nightgown. He had not even seen it when he had made sure her things were packed. He had promised himself that he would make her come to him when she wanted it, but damned if it wasn't, well, HARD to keep from trying to seduce her.

Sarah climbed into the bed and wrapped her arms around Jareth like she did every evening.

"Sarah, shouldn't you blow out the candles?" Jareth asked.

"In a minute love," she said as she snuggled close to him, burying her face in his neck. He smelled like he had always smelled, like desert air and cinnamon. She stuck her tongue out and licked the skin there, barely glazing it with her tongue.

"Sarah, what are you doing?" Jareth asked a little stiffly.

"Trying to seduce you, is it working?" Sarah asked as she gave the shell of his ear a long and slow lick.

"Yes," Jareth confessed as a tent started to appear in his pants.

"What do you plan to do about it?" Sarah asked.

"Are you sure?" Jareth asked in a serious tone.

"Never been more sure," Sarah breathed into his mouth as she looked him in the eye. Jareth could see desire and love there, and also a little fear. He knew the fears were unfounded, but it was his job to dissuade her fears and let her know that he would never hurt her like that.

"Well, when you say it like that…," Jareth smirked and brought Sarah's head down to his.

After that, there were only the sounds of gasps and moans until they both cried out each other's names in the candlelight.

Then there was silence.

&&&

Toby was waiting for them when they appeared in the courtyard of the castle. Sarah rushed forward and hugged him close to her, sitting on the ground despite her gown. Sarah was crying and holding Toby tight.

"I'm so sorry Toby, I am so very sorry!" Sarah gasped.

"It's okay Sarah, I'm still alive and so are you. We'll be okay," Toby told her, "You missed my birthday by the way. You owe me"

"Ah, that I do," Sarah said as she wiped her eyes, "What do you want?"

"I got what I really wanted. You are alive and okay. But I am thinking that we have a lot of 'us' time coming to us, right?" Toby asked.

"You are the best little brother a girl could have," Sarah said as she stood back up.

"Everything go well?" Toby asked Jareth.

"Yes, everything is fine," Jareth winked at his young protégé as he took hold of Sarah's hand.

"When's the wedding?" Toby asked.

"We cannot seem to come to an agreement on that it seems," Jareth smirked.

"Oh, Sarah, do you know what you can get me for my birthday?" Toby asked innocently.

"What?" Sarah asked him warily.

"Your damned wedding!" Toby threw up his hands, exasperated.

"Watch your language!" Sarah snapped warmly.

"Boy, she has changed," Toby said to Jareth.

"Only for the better Toby, only for the better"


	17. Epilogue

**The Truth of a Lie**

_a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. This is the epilogue, and I have people I want to thank. _

_AngelaScarlet – my Labyrinth beta reader. She is prompt, and she is good. She always lets me know when something is off, and I am proud that she is my beta._

_Lady Orchid – one of my most faithful reviewers. She gives great encouragement._

_AmethystLainey – who never leaves me reviews, but constantly bitches at me to update. Without her, I would not feel guilty enough to update quickly._

_And to each and every one of my other reviewers, thanks so much._

_I do not know if I will be doing any other Labyrinth fanfics any time soon. I will always accept challenges and I will always do commissions, but my Labyrinth plot bunny and muse has hopped away for a time. I am now concentrating on the Gundam Wing fandom, with a little Inuyasha sprinkled in for good measure. But I want to thank everyone who has ever read any of my Laby fics. This fiction is my proudest piece of work, and the best one, IMHO. Please stay in touch, all of you._

_**Epilogue**_

You know, at one time, I told you it was all a test. And it was; but I think the bigger test was what came after, the events that have lead me to this day, my wedding day.

I know! Who would have thought that this girl would have ever gotten married? It was not something I was born for, or bred for. Certainly not raised or trained for. But I guess that, in a way, marriage may be the greatest test of all.

When we came back to the castle, Jareth wanted to start planning for the wedding right away. I would have been happy marrying him right then and there, but he wanted a wedding fit for a Queen, so I let him have his way.

So here I am, in our suite, dressed to impress. The gown is white, and off-the-shoulder. The duchesse satin is luxurious and slightly heavy. The beading is exquisite, and the diamonds I am wearing are making my neck cramp. I have the tiara for my office nestled in the curls that the maids have piled on top of my head, and I definitely look every inch a Duchess and a Queen-to-be. There is a long, sheer veil pinned into my hair where my tiara is secured, and it is very long. The skirt of my dress is full, and the train is even longer than the veil. Toby picked the dress out since I could not seem to decide on what I wanted. The courtesan part of me wanted to just go in naked with only the veil, but Jareth informed me that the other nobles would be shocked. Being shocked was not good for relations.

"Sarah?" Alis asks as she pokes her head into the room.

"I'm ready if you guys are," I tell her.

"Yeah. You look beautiful," she says, and I smile.

"Kind of feel beautiful too. Do you have the bouquet?" I ask her. She hands me a bouquet of wildflowers that I had asked Toby to collect.

"Good to go?" Alis asks.

"Good to go," I tell her.

The walk down the halls gives me time to think. You know, my whole life really has been a lie. And the truth of it is that I was just too blind to see it. I knew that something was off my whole life, and rather than confront it, I accepted it and what I thought was my fate. But when Jareth and I spent time in that bathtub together, I started to realize that my fate was what I would make it. I spent my life letting others make my decisions for me. Jareth allows me to stumble, allows me to fail; and yet, he is still there at the end to let me know it is okay to try again.

The doors are in front of me now. Toby is standing there, looking so cool in his formal clothing. He will be made Prince when I am made Queen. He will be Jareth's designated heir. The doctors examined me when I came back from the castle by the sea and found that I cannot bear children. My years of being abused and then the two rapes had pretty much destroyed any chance of me conceiving. Jareth did not mind. He told me that Toby could be his heir, and that he and I would be all the parental figures Toby would need to live out the rest of his life in a healthy way. We could enjoy Toby's kids when he had them.

And as for being Fae? Eventually, we will become Fae too. The magic of the lands will eventually become part of us, and we too will be one of them. I had been worried about that, but now I am okay with it.

Toby offers me his arm. He is going to be very tall when he is grown. I take it and the guards open the doors. Jareth is standing at the end of the aisle, resplendent in black silk. His face is expectant, and his eyes are excited.

This is it. No more lies. My truth and my future lies with him. I allow Toby to walk me down the aisle and towards the only man I have ever loved.

Breathe. Do not panic. It will all be okay.

It will all be okay.

_**- The End - **_


End file.
